The New York Jets are in a desperate search for a new QB1. They are screwed for 2025, but there are new opportunities in 2026.
Heavy’s Max Dible proposed a trade that could deliver a new solution at quarterback for the green and white.
New York Jets receive: quarterback Mac Jones
San Francisco 49ers receive: a 2027 third-round pick
“Nothing has gone as planned for the New York Jets with Justin Fields under center. The team planned to bench him once, at which point owner Woody Johnson publicly threw his $40 million QB under the bus. A Tyrod Taylor injury derailed that transition, though the team has come back to it now, heading into Week 12 with a record of 2-8,” Dible said.
“Fields clearly isn’t the answer in New York, but Taylor isn’t a long-term solution either,” Dible explained.
“There won’t be a ton of options on the free-agent market next spring, but a trade for a player like Mac Jones could work. Jones is under contract for 2025 and 2026 in San Francisco and has played well in place of Brock Purdy this season. Much like Sam Darnold before him, Jones has rehabilitated his value after a rough start with the Patriots, the team that drafted him near the top of the first round a handful of years back,” Dible added.
“Purdy inked a deal that pays him more than $50 million annually, so Jones isn’t taking over in SF on a permanent basis. The smart thing for the 49ers to do is to move Jones in the offseason while his value is at its peak. A viable starting QB considering his stats and win lines, especially amid all of SF’s injury problems, Jones probably has third-round value to a team like the Jets with zero other options currently on the roster.”
Insider Confirms Looming Jones Trade Interest
Jones, 27, signed a two-year $8.4 million contract in free agency this past offseason. That $3.5 million annual salary would place Jones 48th among the highest-paid quarterbacks in football, per Over The Cap.
The former Alabama product has appeared in nine games and has made eight starts this season for San Francisco. He boasts a 5-3 record as a starter. With those opportunities, Jones has completed 69.6% of his passes, has thrown for 2,151 passing yards, and has a 13 touchdown to 6 interception ratio.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport said on Friday, November 14, that Jones has “re-established himself as a starting quarterback that can win games” with his performance for the 49ers this year.
“You certainly wonder if they will end up trading him this offseason. They’re going to have interest, and there are going to be many many teams in what could be a lackluster quarterback draft who need a guy,” Rapoport added.
Prominent Analyst Urges Jets to Explore the Jones Possibility
Connor Rogers of SNY posted on social media, “There are a lot of variables for the Jets QB pursuit in the 2026 class (who declares, where they pick, and if they take one, how much time will that player need before starting?) It would make sense for them to call about Mac Jones if he were made available this offseason.”
Jones could go from hated rival to Jets QB1.
He entered the league as the No. 15 overall pick in the first round by New England. Things looked great early on for Jones. He was named a Pro Bowler as a rookie and put up solid numbers.
However, everything fell apart after his rookie year. He eventually was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2024 sixth-round pick to be a developmental backup. Now he has rebuilt his image at the San Francisco quarterback factory.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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