Then in the market for a capable backup to starting quarterback Brock Purdy, the 49ers brought in Mac Jones on a two-year, $7MM contract last March. The move paid off in 2025 for San Francisco, which earned a playoff berth despite turning to Jones as its starter for almost half the season.
With injuries holding Purdy out of eight games, Jones helped the 49ers to a 5-3 mark during a 12-win campaign for the club. Across 11 appearances, Jones posted career highs in completion percentage (69.6), yards per attempt (7.4), passer rating (97.4) and QBR (62.9). The 27-year-old fired 13 touchdowns against six interceptions along the way.
Before teaming up with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, Jones endured a couple of down years as a Patriots starter and a Jaguars backup. The 15th overall pick in 2021, Jones finished second to Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. The Alabama product also helped lead the Patriots to the playoffs then, but the team peaked under Jones that season.
After back-to-back subpar years, the Patriots sold low on Jones in sending him to the Jags for a sixth-round pick in 2024. While logging seven starts in place of an injured Trevor Lawrence in his lone year in Jacksonville, Jones’ struggles continued.
Departing Jacksonville for San Francisco led to Jones’ revival under Shanahan, making it conceivable that quarterback-needy teams could inquire about his availability this offseason. Bringing in Jones and his $2.81MM base salary may be an attractive option for clubs seeking a veteran QB who can at least compete for a starting job. As you’d expect, though, the 49ers’ public stance is that Jones will remain in their uniform in 2026.
On the potential of dealing Jones, Shanahan stated (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area): “As any player on our team, including myself and John (Lynch), you always listen to people and trade offers, but we’re also not into getting rid of good players. So, I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.”
Lynch echoed Shanahan’s sentiments, adding, “Like Kyle said, you always listen, but I know we’re a better football team with Mac Jones on our roster.”
While Jones’ presence benefited the 49ers in 2025, Purdy is locked in as their starter. With that in mind, an offseason trade involving the 49ers’ clear-cut backup may be on the table if a competitive enough offer comes along. A mid-November report identified Jones as a “prime trade candidate,” and it’s worth noting that he turned down better offers last March before latching on with the 49ers. It’s unknown which teams lost out on Jones in free agency then, but perhaps they’ll circle back on the trade market this year.
What else are they going to say? That’ll change real quick with the right offer
Hence them saying they listen to offers duh. 🙄
So why is this even an article?
I don’t think they will get any great offers. They had one of the weakest schedules and he helped them stay the course. Nothing franchise qb was shown so maybe a 4th.
9ers just overvalued Aiyuk so we will see if they over play trade value here because Mac walks next year.
Judging by how many games Purdy missed last year, I totally believe they’re not trading Mac Jones. Just look at how many teams became a lost cause after their quarterback got hurt. The Colts were a lost cause after Daniel Jones gut hurt, & the Bengals fell apart without Joe Burrow. Is it worth it to subtract five wins for a fourth round pick?
Going into the season, the schedule looked weak but it didn’t turn out that way. The 49ers and Seattle tied for the 17th hardest schedule. That’s far from weak when you see that 8 playoff teams were on that schedule.
Ayiuk wasn’t overvalued……they just didn’t expect him to go Antonio Brown on them. Nobody could foresee that happening.
If somebody offers a 2nd rounder for Jones, he is gone. They would have the ammo to be able to get another 1st round pick or even move up higher in the 1st round.
Aiyuk was overvalued he was not going to get them 2 first rd picks. Aj Brown a better wr didn’t get that the year prior. 2 first and a player is for Jefferson and Chase level guys, Aiyuk was never in that tier. DK Metcalf area and he didn’t get much in his trade.
The only good team outside division they beat was the Bears. Lost to Texans and Jags.
Regardless if they won or lost, that doesn’t change how their schedule turned out. Whether their wins came outside the division or not is irrelevant. That’s just a way to move the goalposts. They were 5-5 against playoff teams including the playoffs.
I never said they were going to get a 2nd rounder but if someone offers one, I doubt they pass it up. They can get another decent backup in FA.
I would never trust a single player or coach to come out of Kyle Shannahan’s 49’ers.
His schemes are so uniquely good, he can make very marginal talent look elite.
Darnold has done pretty well for himself in the past 2 years after being with the 49ers. I think Mac Jones can be the same (maybe not as good) but he’s a steady presence, etc.
I think the Dolphins, Vikings (not sure if JJ is the answer), Browns, etc. could use a bridge QB unless they are willing to tank for a draft pick next year.
This is such a fan thought. Darnold is the exception, not the rule. Just because someone followed Darnold’s path doesn’t mean they are the next Darnold.
Any team thinking they’re trading for the next Sam Darnold is going to be disappointed.
Yeah, Darnold was a top-five pick for a reason. The Jets set him back a half-dozen years. Not saying he’s headed to Canton, but he’s plenty good enough to guide a solid roster deep in the playoffs every year.
I mean, Jones was a first rounder too, and had a good rookie year before suffering his own condensed version of Darnold’s struggles that cast him adrift. It’s similar circumstances, so I wouldn’t rule it out, even though I overall share the same understanding that he and Darnold are just different from each other fundamentally.
To that end, Darnold also went to a better coach for quarterback development, in my opinion, and had a year as a starter (unplanned as it was) that Jones hasn’t exactly had. So if we’re using Darnold’s path as a comparison, Jones hasn’t quite done that yet. He is, however, close enough to where we can see how what happened to Darnold could theoretically happen to Jones. Because Darnold has hold of a starting job for a good offense for a season, and Jones hasn’t yet, I’d say that he needs a little more time. He’s proven that he can rebound, he needs to settle into that role for a bit more time to show that it can be consistent.
I feel bad for whatever fan base gets stuck thinking Mac Jones is a starting caliber QB.
Even in a “good” season for him, he threw 13 TDs and 6 INTs. That’s a terrible ratio, especially in a west coast, Shanahan offense. Some team is going to give up a mid round pick for this scrub and he’ll be gone.
And what would happen if Jones had good WR to throw to? Lets be honest, Jennings and Bourne were solid at times but they didn’t have a #1 WR on that team. Purdy and Jones elevated those WR’s.