Once the “Tight End of the Future” for the Steelers, a car accident sent Brent Jones to an 11-year career with the 49ers

It’s funny how much circumstances can dictate the outcome. Especially in the NFL, where only 0.023% of high school football players advance to the professional level, so many external factors can influence a player’s success or lack thereof. A three-time Super Bowl winner began his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but unfortunate circumstances forced him to turn to a long and successful career with the San Francisco 49ers.

“It was my first year in camp. I was drafted by the Steelers. They said I was the tight end of the future,” Brent Jones said via the outlet Red & Gold East Coast Podcast. “I had a car accident two weeks later. I had a herniated disc and was put on injured reserve. And a month into the season, they said, ‘We’re not sure your neck is getting any better, and we’re going to release you. And so I came home thinking my dreams of playing professional football were over.”

Born in San Jose, just outside of San Francisco, Jones received some interest from his hometown team and went to training camp. He described the struggles of trying to break into the 49ers’ roster and how he got his first opportunity while Russ Francis was injured and John Frank needed a break during practice.

Ultimately, Jones had an 11-season career with the 49ers that spanned from 1987 to 1997. He caught 417 receptions for 5,195 yards and 33 touchdowns and helped win three Super Bowl championships . He had another 60 receptions for 740 yards and five touchdowns in 21 playoff games. During the 1989 Super Bowl-winning postseason, he had three touchdowns to help the 49ers lift Lombardi.

He earned four Pro Bowl selections and made the second-team All-Pro list twice. Whoever told him he was going to be the tight end of the future in Pittsburgh was definitely on to something, but no one could have predicted the car accident and subsequent injury.

He was originally a fifth round pick for the Steelers in 1986. The harsh reality for the Steelers is that he could have made a significant impact on their rosters in the 1980s and 1990s. Top tight ends in those years for the Steelers included Preston Gothard, Danzell Lee, Mike Mularkey, Adrian Cooper and Eric Green.

Green had a nice career, including two Pro Bowl selections, but the tight end position wasn’t exactly a strength of the Steelers roster during the years Jones would have been there. He still holds the ninth-most receiving yards in 49ers history.

You can’t just assume they would have had the same stats in Pittsburgh during that time. The Steelers didn’t exactly have Joe Montana or Steve Young. But it would have been a big upgrade over what they had. If you took his stats and put them on the Steelers, he would be seventh all-time in receiving yards. It’s just another missed connection and a product of unfortunate circumstances for the Steelers.