Brent Michael Jones (born February 12, 1963) is an American former professional football player, business executive, businessman, coach, and sports analyst. As a player, he was a tight end for the San Francisco 49ers during his entire 11-year career in the National Football League (NFL) from 1987 to 1997. Jones is listed among the top players in franchise history, and helped revolutionize the concept of the pass-catching tight end.
After playing college football at Santa Clara University, Jones was selected 135th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1986 NFL draft. Cut after one season with the Steelers, he joined the 49ers during training camp in 1987. He went on to become the team's starting tight end in his third season after the retirement of John Frank and played with the 49ers for 11 seasons. He finished his 49ers career as the franchise's all-time leader in receptions (417), receiving yards (5,195) and receiving touchdowns (33) by a tight end, until Vernon Davis surpassed all three of those records. In the regular season, Jones played in 143 career games, winning 110 of them. In the playoffs, Jones played in 21 career games, starting 19 games, and winning 14 of them. Jones won nine NFC West titles with the 49ers. Jones finished his playoff career with 60 receptions for 740 receiving yards. Jones won three Super Bowls and was named All-Pro three times (1992–1994) and was selected to four Pro Bowls (1992–1995). These are all franchise records by a tight end. Jones never experienced a losing season and has one of the highest winning percentages in NFL history. Jerry Rice and Jones are considered the greatest wide receiver-tight end duo in NFL history.
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Early life
Brent Michael Jones was born on Tuesday, February 12, 1963, to Barbara and Mike Jones in San Jose, California. His father Mike is a former quarterback drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1961 AFL draft. Mike Jones played college football at San Jose State University for the Spartans and is a former high school football coach and teacher. Before going to bed, Jones would play a game with his father and his brother called 100 catches where they would each have to catch 100 straight passes. If they dropped one they would have to start all over. Jones attended Leland High School in San Jose, California, where he played football and baseball. In high school, he was a wide receiver in football and was a catcher in baseball. Due to a back injury, he did not play football his junior year and was a third-string football player his senior year. Despite his limited play, Leland's head football coach said at his team banquet, that he felt Jones had the most potential to play in the Pacific-10 Conference. In baseball, he was a First-team All-BVAL selection and his dream was to play Major League Baseball.
College career
Jones did not find out he was going to attend Santa Clara University until he came back from his senior class trip to Hawaii. A standout high school baseball player, he was initially recruited to SCU with a baseball scholarship, but also played wide receiver on the football team. Due to injury, he was cut from the baseball team his second year and his focus and athletic scholarship was shifted to football.
Jones served as both a key blocker and primary receiving target in four years with Santa Clara. During his sophomore season, Jones made the shift from wide receiver to tight end. By the conclusion of his collegiate career, he had led the Broncos to two Western Football Conference championships. A three-time all-conference selection, Jones ranks second all-time in school history with 137 career receptions, fourth with 2,267 receiving yards, fourth in scoring with 200 points and third with 24 touchdown receptions.
Professional career
1986 NFL draft
Jones flew to New Orleans, Louisiana to participate in the NFL Combine. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Jones with the 135th overall pick in the fifth round of the 1986 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers
On Sunday, May 11, while driving home on Mother's Day, Jones and his girlfriend Dana were both injured in a car accident after being hit by a drunk driver. The driver drove down the wrong side of the road in a massive head-on collision. Jones suffered a herniated disc in his neck and Dana broke her jaw on the steering wheel and dislocated her shoulder. In his only practice with the team, Jones reinjured his neck in a helmet-to-helmet collision. The Steelers kept him on the roster until about a month into the regular season. The team would finish the 1986 NFL season 6–10 and third in the AFC Central under Hall of Fame head coach Chuck Noll, failing to qualify for the 1986–87 NFL playoffs. Due to his later success in professional football with the San Francisco 49ers, Jones is considered the worst cut in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise.
San Francisco 49ers
Jones joined his hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers, as a rookie backup during training camp. On Sunday, December 6, at Lambeau Field, in a 23–12 win over the Green Bay Packers, Jones made his NFL regular season debut, won his first career NFL regular season game, and recorded his first career reception on a 13-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana. The team finished the strike-shortened 1987 NFL season 13–2 and first in the NFC West under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh. Jones appeared in the last four games, finishing with two receptions for 35 receiving yards in Walsh's West Coast offense. On Saturday, January 9, 1988, at Candlestick Park, Jones made his NFL playoff debut in the 1987–88 NFL playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings and recorded his first career playoff reception on a seven-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana.
On Sunday, November 6, at Sun Devil Stadium, Jones caught his first career receiving touchdown against the Phoenix Cardinals. It was a three-yard pass from quarterback Steve Young that put the Niners up 23–0 in the third quarter. The team finished the 1988 NFL season 10–6 and first in the NFC West. Jones appeared in 11 games, finishing with eight receptions for 57 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. On Sunday, New Year's Day, January 1, 1989, at Candlestick Park, in a 34–9 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Jones won his first career playoff game. On Sunday, January 22, at Joe Robbie Stadium, in a 20–16 win over the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII, the 49ers won their third Super Bowl in franchise history, giving Jones his first. For the 1988–89 NFL playoffs, Jones made two starts and appeared in three games, finishing with two receptions for 17 receiving yards.
Jones emerged as a starter in the 1989 season, following the retirement of John Frank. The team finished the 1989 NFL season 14–2 and first in the NFC West under new head coach George Seifert. Jones started all 16 games, finishing with 40 receptions for 500 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. On Saturday, January 6, 1990, at Candlestick Park, in a 41–13 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Jones recorded his first career playoff receiving touchdown on an eight-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana that put the Niners up 14–3 in the second quarter. On Sunday, January 28, at the Louisiana Superdome, in a 55–10 win over the AFC Champion Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV, Jones and the 49ers won their second consecutive and fourth Super Bowl. Jones chipped in with his first Super Bowl reception and receiving touchdown on the same play; a seven-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana to put the Niners up 13–3 in the first quarter. For the 1989–90 NFL playoffs, Jones made three starts, finishing with eight receptions for 77 receiving yards and a career-high three receiving touchdowns.
NFL career statistics
NFL records
1,339 career combined regular season receptions by a wide receiver/tight end duo (1987–1997 – Jerry Rice)
19,153 career combined regular season receiving yards by a wide receiver/tight end duo (1987–1997 – Jerry Rice)
170 career combined regular season receiving touchdowns by a wide receiver/tight end duo (1987–1997 – Jerry Rice)
By a tight end:
1.000 NFL Championship / Super Bowl winning percentage (minimum 3 Super Bowls – tied with Jay Novacek and Shannon Sharpe)
1.000 NFL Championship / Super Bowl winning percentage with one team (minimum 3 Super Bowls – tied with Jay Novacek)
First player to win 14 career playoff games
First player to win 14 career playoff games with one team
First player to play 21 career playoff games
First player to play 21 career playoff games with one team
First player to go 3–0 in Super Bowl career
First player to go 3–0 in Super Bowl career with one team
First player to start Super Bowl career 3–0
First player to start Super Bowl career 3–0 with one team
One of two players to win at least three NFL Championships / Super Bowls with one team without losing one (Jay Novacek)
San Francisco 49ers franchise records
By a tight end:
Three NFL / Super Bowl championships
Three NFL / Super Bowl appearances
110 career regular season wins
14 career playoff wins
0.769 regular season winning percentage
0.666 playoffs winning percentage
143 career regular season games played
19 career playoff games started
21 career playoff games played
60 career playoff receptions
740 career playoff receiving yards
First player to make four career Pro Bowls
Career highlights
Honors
Jones was inducted into the Division II Football Hall of Fame in 2001, the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. On May 19, 2025, it was announced that Jones was elected as the 33rd member and the first tight end in franchise history that will be inducted into the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame. "It is truly the greatest honor of my life to be alongside the legends that comprise the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame, one of the greatest franchises in all of professional sports," Jones said after receiving the call from owner Jed York. On December 13 at Levi's Stadium, he was inducted and was honored the next day on December 14 at halftime during the 49ers 2025 NFL season Week 15 home game against the Tennessee Titans.
Off the field
Personal life
Brent and Dana Jones met while attending Santa Clara University and were married in 1987. They have two daughters, Rachel and Courtney, who are both former NCAA Division I student athletes and played soccer. Rachel played for the Cal Poly Mustangs and Courtney played at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, helping the Tar Heels win two consecutive NCAA Championships in her freshman and second years in 2008 and 2009. Courtney was drafted sixth overall by the Boston Breakers in the 2013 NWSL Supplemental Draft. She played professional soccer as a forward and defender for the new Breakers and FC Kansas City in the NWSL.
Broadcasting career
Shortly after his playing career ended, Jones became an analyst for The NFL Today on CBS in 1998. Jones worked as a color commentator for the NFL on CBS from 1999 to 2005 with Gus Johnson. Jones decided to leave CBS Sports during the 2005 NFL season to spend more time with family, and to focus on his business in California, Northgate Capital, which he founded with former teammates Mark Harris and Tommy Vardell.
Business ventures
In 2000, upon retiring from football, Jones and former teammates Steve Young, Tommy Vardell, and Mark Harris co-founded Northgate Capital, a venture capital and private equity investment firm with approximately $4.9 billion of assets under management and offices in San Francisco, Danville, Mexico City, and London and served as its managing director and founding partner. He sold a majority stake in Northgate to Indian financial services company Religare Enterprises in 2010 and continued to manage the firm as a partner. In 2016, after Religare and Northgate's management team sold the firm to The Capital Partnership, an investment advisor with offices in London and Dubai, he became an advisor. Jones is a former member of the board of directors for San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises, which owns the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League.
Christianity
Jones is a Christian and found his faith when he attended Young Life as a sophomore in high school. His Young Life leader Tom Raley was instrumental in his life and told him that he would have a career in sports. Jones was one of the first players to start prayer circles in the NFL.
Coaching career
Jones's coaching career began in 2007 at Monte Vista High School, who compete in the East Bay Athletic League. Coaching the tight ends, he mentored Zach Ertz.
Politics
Jones is a Republican. In the past he has been rumored to be a potential political candidate. At one time, he was considered by many pundits to be a potential candidate for the US Congressional seat held by freshman Rep. Jerry McNerney in northern California's 11th congressional district. On March 19, 2009, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Jones was being recruited to run in a special election to replace U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher, who was appointed to a position in the State Department, in California's 10th congressional district. On March 4, 2010, David Harmer, a Republican candidate running for California's 11th congressional district, announced that Jones had endorsed Harmer's campaign.