Nick Saban still keeps a keen eye on his ex-QB Mac Jones. Recently on The Pat McAfee Show, the legendary coach dropped a hilarious story about the 49ers’ QB. And with Jones riding a three-game win streak in the Bay Area, the timing couldn’t have been better. It was a story that showed how far Jones has come since his days in Tuscaloosa.

But Saban wasn’t joking when he said Jones could test his patience back then. In fact, he gave him a nickname that stuck. “I used to call him John McEnroe,” Saban recalled. “Mac was a tennis player in high school. Like when Mac threw a bad pass, he’d kick and fuss and cuss.”

For the 73-year-old, the comparison fit perfectly. Just like the fiery tennis legend, Jones would wear his frustration on his sleeve, and it showed in front of the whole team. However, Saban explained that this behavior wasn’t acceptable for a quarterback.

“You can’t do that and play quarterback, you’re affecting the whole team out here. You make one bad play and you go bananas. I said, ‘You can’t do that, you’re gonna have bad plays, you gotta play the next play. You can’t get emotional about it and let it affect everybody around here with your negative body language. It’s not an individual sport. You can’t throw your racquet. Cut that sh-t out.’” And honestly, it’s not shocking.

Jones’ attitude has been questioned before. During his Patriots days, there were moments where his sideline reactions toward coaches drew plenty of heat. Still, that same fire also fueled him. When harnessed the right way, that stubborn edge helped him battle through tough stretches. Take last week as proof.

Jones played through a knee injury, but instead of folding, he lit up with 342 yards and two touchdowns. He even led the 49ers to a 26-23 overtime win. And Saban now likes what he is seeing from his student.

Nick Saban is “happy” for Mac Jones

Five years ago, Mac Jones was just another quarterback under Nick Saban at Alabama. Now, he is headlining in the Bay Area with the Niners. And right after Jones pulled off the biggest win of his NFL career, Saban couldn’t help but share his thoughts. On The Pat McAfee Show, he said, “I’m so happy for Mac.” 

But then, with a little jab at his old pal Bill Belichick, he added, “I think Mac was one of those guys who was in bad situations in New England relative to coaching and all that stuff, and who was the offensive coordinator, and how did he get developed when he came into the league.”

Let’s be real, calling it a “bad situation” is being polite.

After Jones made the Pro Bowl in 2021 under Josh McDaniels, Belichick went off-script. He handed the offense to Matt Patricia, a career defensive coach. Not surprisingly, the whole setup blew up. Belichick wanted control, but Jones wasn’t about to take his crap quietly.

The relationship spiraled, the locker room soured, and the partnership collapsed. Eventually, Jones left, while Belichick’s era in Foxborough ended the same way—ugly.

However, will Belichick fire back at Saban or maybe Jones? We’ll see. But for now, Saban and, of course, the 49ers are happy with Jones’ performance.