San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan are developing quite the reputation a quarterback career revival specialists.
Two seasons ago, the team signed Sam Darnold to a one-year deal to backup Brock Purdy. The former No. 3 overall pick started one game and appeared in four more. He played well enough to earn the starting job the following season with the Minnesota Vikings.
Darnold had a career year, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a 102.5 passer rating. He parlayed that into a massive $100 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
This season, he’s currently second in the NFL in completion percentage (70.2), seventh in passing yards (2,541) and passer rating (105), and 10th in touchdowns (17).
And now, it appears the 49ers have done the same for Mac Jones.
After being cast off from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones has undergone a renaissance in San Francisco. Filling in for Purdy for most of the season, Jones has played like a Pro Bowler, going 5-3 as the starter.
He’s thrown for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions with a career-high 97.4 passer rating. Most analysts believe because Jones’ performance, he’ll draw significant trade interest this offseason.
What Kind of Trade Package Could Mac Jones Fetch?
If the 49ers were to make Jones available this offseason, the assumption is enough teams would be interested that they’d have to at least consider a trade.
Jones is under contract next season for a modest $4.2 million, which could be appealing to a handful of teams.
But what kind of return could the team realistically get for the 27-year-old QB? Well, SI.com’s Albert Breer believes Jones could fetch a high enough draft pick that a deal might make enough sense for the 49ers to pull the trigger.
“Could the Niners get, say, a Day 2 pick in 2026 and maybe a conditional Day 3 pick in 2027 for Jones? It’s not out of the question,” Breer wrote.
Given his age, Jones may not be as appealing to teams like the Cleveland Browns or New York Jets. Both teams will have high draft picks and likely want to draft a young franchise QB. A cost-controlled rookie contract is likely more appealing to both franchises than paying Jones a starter’s salary.
Potential Landing Spots for Jones
GettyThe Arizona Cardinals have been named a team to watch regarding a Mac Jones trade
Should Jones be made available after the season, it’s believed several teams will be interested in acquiring him.
The list of QB-needy teams heading into the offseason is quite large. Jones could be in play for several teams including the Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New Orleans Saints.
However, Breer believes there’s three teams to really keep an eye on.
“I’d look at teams such as the Vikings, Dolphins and Cardinals (the latter pending any potential coaching changes),” Breer wrote. “In the case of Minnesota, it’d be a way to bring in competition for J.J. McCarthy and provide a layer of insurance at an affordable rate for a loaded roster, should McCarthy not ascend through the rest of this season.
“In the case of the other two, Jones would be an affordable scheme fit that could help those teams detach from expensive quarterbacks who have one year left of heavy guarantees.”
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