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Justin Fields Rumors: 49ers, Patriots the Only Known Teams Attending 2nd Pro Day
April 12, 2021
The New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers are reportedly the only two teams to commit to attending Justin Fields' second pro day at Ohio State this week.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported the 49ers are set to send coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch to Columbus. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is expected to lead New England's group.
The 49ers have increasingly been linked to Alabama's Mac Jones with the No. 3 pick, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Shanahan and Lynch will "use all available time to make a final call."
Shanahan and Lynch chose to attend Jones' second pro day at Alabama rather than attend the first held at Ohio State, perhaps tipping their hand at the direction the 49ers contingent is leaning. Jones has quickly risen up draft boards after a stellar junior season, but it's nevertheless a surprise to see him leapfrog Fields, who at one point was considered a near-lock to be the second quarterback taken.
Fields' seeming drop has nothing to do with his play on the field. He threw for 2,100 yards and 21 touchdowns against six interceptions while adding 383 yards and five scores on the ground, leading Ohio State to the national championship game. While he struggled a bit against Alabama's defense in the title game, that came two weeks after a heroic six-touchdown effort despite a rib injury against Clemson.
If the 49ers pass on Fields, the Patriots could be prepared to jump up from No. 15 and land their quarterback of the future. Cam Newton is currently penciled in as their starter for the second straight season, but the 2015 NFL MVP is clearly past his prime and struggled as a passer in 2020.
