Mac Jones, Daniel Jones Cash In on Big Incentive Money

It’s a good time to be an NFL quarterback with the last name Jones. 

On Sunday, the 49ers beat the Falcons 20–10 to improve to 5–2 despite a rash of injuries to start the season, including starting quarterback Brock Purdy. 

Purdy is out indefinitely with a toe injury. In his absence, the team’s Super Bowl hopes have been kept afloat by his backup, Mac Jones, who previously flamed out as a starter in New England. 

Since stepping in for Purdy, Jones is 4–1 as a starter and has thrown for more than 1,400 yards in just five games. In 2024, Jones threw for 1,672 in 10 games while with the Jaguars as a fill-in for Trevor Lawrence. 

Jones signed a two-year deal with San Francisco in March worth $8.4 million, but Sunday’s win unlocked some extra cash for him. Signed as a backup, his contract came with a $400,000 incentive if he won four games as a starter while taking at least 25% of the snaps. Now that he’s eclipsed the $400,000 mark, Jones gets an additional $100,000 for each win going forward. 

But Mac still trails another Jones in terms of incentive money earned this season. 

Daniel Jones continues to be a revelation in Indy after his exile from the Giants. 

The Colts improved to 6–1 on Sunday with a 38–24 win over the Chargers. Jones threw for two touchdowns and 288 yards. Jones signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Colts in March and has netted $100,000 for each win he plays at least 50% of the snaps in. To date, he has earned $600,000 in bonuses. 

Jones’s success comes after the Giants granted his release last year in the middle of a $160 million deal he signed with the team in March 2023. His contract carries a $22 million salary cap hit for the Giants this season, who are 2–5, while Jones continues to lead the Colts toward a playoff berth.