After keeping the San Francisco 49ers season intact while Brock Purdy dealt with turf toe, Mac Jones is very likely going to be drawing a ton of attention next offseason.
Jones has played well enough to make himself valuable to nearly every team looking for stability at quarterback, and the Niners are going to have a big decision to make about his future when the 2026 offseason hits.
“What Mac Jones did for himself this year, and for the 49ers, was re-establish himself as a starting quarterback that can win games,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said on November 14, adding:
“There’s going to be interest. There are going to be teams — many, many teams — in what could be a lackluster quarterback draft who need a guy.”
Jones Has Earned a Second Bite at the Apple When it Comes to Starting in the NFL
GettyIan Rapoport says the San Francisco 49ers are going to get loads of trade interest for quarterback Mac Jones in 2026.
Jones entered the NFL in 2021 as the 15th overall pick for the Patriots, and he finished with a 10–7 record as a rookie. He threw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns, that year, making the Pro Bowl while dragging the Pats into the postseason. His production dipped a bit in the two years after that, and he was eventually traded to the Jags, where he served as a backup in 2024.
A year later, he has gone 5-3 in eight starts, completing just under 70% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 TDs and six interceptions.
But the 49ers extended Purdy on a five-year, $265 million contract and built their roster with him as the fulcrum. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been unambiguous about who his QB1 is, perpetually noting that if/when Purdy is available, he will start.
With Jones deserving of an opportunity elsewhere and other teams likely set to show interest, it’ll likely depend on the offers San Francisco receives in return for his services that determine if and when Jones is traded.
New York Jets Emerge as Top Trade Partner for San Francisco 49ers QB Mac Jones
The New York Jets are probably the most logical trade destination for Jones right now. Sitting at 2–8, they’ll be looking for a new QB after Justin Fields’ rollercoaster season. They desperately need steadiness, not another boom-or-bust experiment, and Jones would give them that.
“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 was made available this offseason,” NBC Sports’ Connor Rogers wrote on X.
CBS Sports also named the Jets a prime landing spot for Jones ahead of the trade deadline this year.
The Raiders and Saints would also make sense. Las Vegas is mired in turnovers with Geno Smith leading the way, and they’re likely changing direction at QB in 2026. New Orleans is struggling through a post–Derek Carr transition with Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler so the Saints are an option, as well.
When a quarterback plays as steadily as Jones has this season, it’s no surprise he’ll draw interest. The primary question now is whether the 49ers are going to be willing to part with him.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post New Team Emerges as Top Trade Partner for 49ers QB Mac Jones appeared first on Heavy Sports.