Mac

Jones

The idea of Mac Jones starting somewhere in 2026 had a lot of gas in late January and February, but it has crashed in March as teams have been reluctant to meet San Francisco’s asking price. We’re not entirely sure why the 49ers would rather keep Jones as a backup than have, say, a third-round pick. Especially when they manufactured Jones’ value all on their own this past year after he was not exactly a first-wave free-agent signing in 2025. They could simply do that again with a different quarterback. But they seem to be anchored on keeping Jones.

Jones is signed through the 2026 season but could see significant interest from quarterback-needy teams this spring. Howe said “with that talented roster and coach Kyle Shanahan, the Niners don’t want a season to go to waste if Purdy goes down again. Since Jones was a major reason the Niners stayed afloat in 2025, they could rightfully be stubborn and hold out for a first-round offer.” This, along with a recent report that the market for Jones is not expected to be “robust,” suggests the veteran will remain in San Francisco for at least one more season. Jones in 2025 was fifth among all QBs in drop back success rate. Purdy, meanwhile, led the NFL in success rate.

These notes come from the Athletic’s Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur. In the article, they note that while the Niners aren’t looking to trade Jones, they “definitely expected to be tempted by a third-round-pick offer — if not higher.” In his first year with the 49ers Jones put together a solid 2151-13-6 line on 289 passes while posting a career-high 69.6 completion percentage. Given the current state of the quarterback market, it’s somewhat surprising to hear that a team hasn’t made a call about Jones, but there’s still time to let things unfold to see if a team whose free agency didn’t go as planned decides to extend an offer for the former No. 15 overall pick.

Jones started a few games for the 49ers in 2025, putting himself on the radar for quarterback-needy teams. However, Lynch said Jones has been “really good for us and we value that...I think we’re a better team with him on it.” The 49ers value Jones as a capable backup quarterback behind Brock Purdy, who has missed time due to injury over the last couple seasons. If a team values Jones as a starter and crafts a strong offer, Lynch and the 49ers would at least consider trading the 27-year-old.

Jones “didn’t just look like a starter in 2025 but someone who could lead an imperfect team.” Per Barrows, Quarterback-needy teams could be hoping that Jones becomes the next “Shanahan reclamation project” after watching Sam Darnold lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record in 2024 and the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in 2025. Darnold spent the 2023 season as a 49ers backup. The incoming rookie quarterback class is currently viewed as a thin group, which could spur teams to pursue Jones via a trade rather than rolling the dice on a questionable prospect. Barrows notes that the Dolphins, Cardinals and Vikings “are running Shanahan’s offense or something similar,” and views all three as potentially interested parties.

Yes, we are again banging the drum that the 49ers may get an offer they can’t refuse for Jones, who has only $1 million in guaranteed salary in 2026 and could be a major upgrade for the Vikings over J.J. McCarthy. Lewis believes the 49ers will “drive a hard bargain” for Jones. As has been rumored for a bit, it would likely take a Day 2 pick for the 49ers to move on from Jones, and perhaps a second-rounder rather than a third-rounder.

Barrows concludes by saying he thinks the 49ers could get a second-round pick for Jones, or perhaps a third-round pick and a sweetener. While we don’t doubt that the 49ers think their team stability is worth a lot at quarterback — and we’ve heard both national reporters and Kyle Shanahan say recently that they don’t think they’ll move on from Jones — at some point the 49ers need to embrace the fact that they rehabbed his value from nothing and could likely do so again with a different quarterback. Given how thirsty things might get on the quarterback streets this year, we concur with Barrows that there’s a real chance Jones goes for a Day 2 pick.

This report comes on the heels of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan telling reporters last month he’d be very surprised if Jones wasn’t on the team in 2026. With quarterback options limited in the draft and free agency, Jones, who has one year left on the two-year deal he signed in San Francisco, could be attractive to quarterback-needy teams this offseason. While the team doesn’t appear interested in the slightest in moving off of the backup QB that went 5-3 as a starter in 2025, that could change once other teams start making offers for the 27-year-old signal caller.

Jones went 5-3 as the 49ers’ starter while Brock Purdy was out with a foot injury. He finished the regular season ranked 10th in EPA per play. He is a great backup for Shanahan’s system, but the 49ers could also get a haul in return for Jones on the trade market. Both the free agent pool and the draft class are thin at quarterback, and plenty of teams will need one this offseason. With one year left on his current deal, a desperate team would likely send a Day Two pick to San Francisco for Jones’s services. For now, it looks like the team will keep him in the fold, but that could change once offers start rolling in.

The rub is that Jones is under contract for just $4.66 million in 2026, so a team trading for him at that number can afford to do quite a bit of maneuvering with the cap. Breer lists the Vikings, Dolphins, and Cardinals as teams that could potentially look at Jones this offseason. The Vikings scenario makes all the sense in the world considering Jones would be able to send McCarthy to the bench barring drastic offseason improvement from the second-year signal caller. Jones has thrown for 2151 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions while winning 5-of-8 starts with Brock Purdy sidelined this year.