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Jones finished the game with a clean performance, tossing two touchdowns and over 230 yards through the air. He had already done his part. But after the final first down sealed the win, he gave up the last snap, pointing to Martinez and telling him it was his turn. “Kyle had already taken his headset off, and I’m like, ‘Come on, Adrian,’” Jones told reporters postgame. “So I just subbed myself out. I was happy for him.” For Martinez, this is about more than one play. After a long college career that included stops at Nebraska and Kansas State, he’s earned every bit of this opportunity. At K-State, he brought experience and leadership to a team that ended up winning the Big 12 title after he went down with an injury. His role in setting the tone that season was real, even if it didn’t end with him on the field. Now, in the NFL, he’s once again doing the work behind the scenes and getting his shot. This isn’t some fairytale moment, and it doesn’t guarantee anything. Martinez is still fighting to carve out a spot in the league. But getting a snap, no matter the situation, is a sign that the work is paying off. It means something to the locker room, and it means something to the coaching staff. And maybe more than anything, it says a lot about the kind of teammate Mac Jones is and the way this 49ers group handles its business.
