Mac Jones says there’s no quarterback drama in San Francisco, and he’s making it clear he knows exactly where he fits.
Jones, who stepped in for Brock Purdy and started eight games last season while Purdy was injured, pushed back on any idea that his strong run created a competition. Even with the trade chatter that followed him, he said the situation is straightforward.
“I’ve been on the other side of it. I’ve been the starter and there’s a little controversy,” Jones said, via the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast.
“I’ve been in Brock’s shoes. There’s no controversy.
It is Brock’s team and I still believe that.”
He also framed the backup role as one built on respect, especially for a quarterback who has already earned his place.
“There’s a respect when you respect a guy who just got paid, earned it, played really well and got hurt. It’s my job as a backup quarterback to go in and play well.”
In Arizona, Paris Johnson Jr. is already looking past the fifth-year option the Cardinals picked up for 2027 and toward a bigger payday. The left tackle said he’s thinking in the same neighborhood as the elite pass rushers he lines up against, putting his target in the $35 million to $50 million range.
“When I started speaking on that, the question was more about how you would grade an elite tackle and how you start to measure yourself as an elite tackle,” Johnson said, via the team’s YouTube. “My answer was exactly this: when I watch tape, when I go to practice and when I play in a game, my mindset is to be the $40 million man.
When I watch my tape, I ask myself, ‘Would you pay this guy $40 million?’ That’s how I watch my tape.
That’s how I go out to practice.”
He went on to explain why he sees the tackle market through that lens, even if the position hasn’t caught up yet.
“That’s how I play. Because the guy I’m lining up against, if he’s worth something, he’s worth at least $35 million to $50 million.
Now, the tackle market isn’t there. The tackle market usually goes up by about one million over the next guy, and that’s just what it is.
The D-linemen are not going for that. That’s another conversation.
But my mindset is that elite guys who are rushing the quarterback - that’s what the market is for them. And I believe it takes an equivalent-level player to shut that guy down.
So I’m not going out there thinking, ‘Pay me $28 million or $28.5 million.’”
Out in Los Angeles, Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson will not face criminal charges after his June arrest for allegedly getting physical with his pregnant ex-girlfriend. Edward Lewis of the California Post reported that Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office spokesperson Ivor Pine said prosecutors are not filing charges at this time, though the case remains open and could be revisited if new information comes in.
NBC Los Angeles reported that the City Attorney’s Office is expected to offer Jackson alternatives to a criminal charge, which could include community service, a class or restitution.
In Other News...
Les Snead Just Made A Very Rams Move For The Future
Les Snead has never been shy about thinking a step or two ahead, and this draft decision fits that familiar Rams pattern. Even with the roster built to chase another run now, the front office keeps finding ways to add young pieces that can matter later, a balancing act that has become part of the organizations identity under Snead and Sean McVay.
The move also says something about where the Rams see the long game heading. With so much of the current core still in place, the temptation is to stay all-in on the present, but Snead keeps acting like a general manager who knows the bill eventually comes due. If Los Angeles is going to avoid the kind of roster drop-off that can hit a contender hard, this is the sort of decision that may look ordinary now and much bigger down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald Just Gave Rams Fans Another Reason To Wonder
A fresh social media clip from Aaron Donald was enough to get Rams fans talking again, even though the defensive great has been out of football for two seasons. In the video, Donald is back in a familiar setting, wearing a Los Angeles Rams shirt while working through pass-rushing moves and drawing plenty of attention simply by looking like himself.
The scene only adds to the intrigue around one of the NFLs most dominant players of the past era, because every appearance from Donald now comes with the same question attached. There has been no official word on a comeback, but the sight of him teaching technique and leaning into his old football identity is the kind of thing that keeps the speculation alive in Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Deebo Samuel Just Got Linked To A Brutal NFC West Return
The Rams receiver room already looks imposing with Davante Adams and Puka Nacua at the top, but the conversation around the third spot is starting to matter as the roster takes shape for 2026. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently pointed to a familiar name as a possible fit, noting that Los Angeles could look outside the building if it wants more proven production behind its stars.
Deebo Samuels recent run has kept him in the mix as a potential impact addition, and his profile makes the idea easy to understand for a team trying to stay dangerous in a loaded NFC West. The Rams do have internal options to sort through, but if they decide they want a more established answer, this is the kind of move that would change the feel of the depth chart in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]