A recent report shared that the San Francisco 49ers “have no plans to trade quarterback Mac Jones this offseason and fully intend to bring him back” to serve as the primary backup for starter Brock Purdy next season.
Jones is under contract through the 2026 campaign, but some continue to believe that 49ers general manager John Lynch hasn’t slammed the door shut on acquiring future assets for the 27-year-old. For his latest mailbag, 49ers insider Matt Barrows of The Athletic was asked about Jones’ future.
“Good chance” 49ers do this with Mac Jones?
“I think the trade market for Jones will be robust, and there’s a good chance they’ll get an offer they can’t refuse,” Barrows wrote.
Jones went 5-3 across eight starts when Purdy was dealing with a toe issue this season. Pro Football Reference stats show that Jones ended Week 18 ranked 11th in the NFL among qualified players with a 62.3 adjusted QBR and 13th with a 97.4 passer rating. Over 11 total appearances, he passed for 13 touchdowns with six interceptions.
Jones made it known throughout Super Bowl week interviews that he feels he showed during the 2025 campaign that he can be a full-time starter for a team. That team likely won’t be a 49ers side that signed Purdy to a five-year, $265M contract extension with $181M in guarantees and a no-trade clause last offseason.
Do teams view Mac Jones as the next Sam Darnold?
“Sam Darnold’s success in Seattle is such an obvious template for quarterback-needy teams,” Barrows explained. “They might think, ‘Instead of gambling with a young quarterback, why don’t we bring in someone who’s been through the grinder and is better because of it? Then we can use our high draft picks on other positions.'”
Darnold famously flopped while with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers before he enjoyed a bit of a career reset while serving as Purdy’s backup during the 2023 season. More recently, Darnold guided his Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory.
Perhaps a quarterback-needy team with an offensive head coach will view Jones as the league’s next Darnold and make the 49ers a so-called “‘Godfather’ offer” for Jones.
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