A recent report indicated that an interested team will “have to knock” the figurative socks off San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch to get Lynch to trade backup quarterback Mac Jones this offseason.
Jones signed a two-year deal with the 49ers last March, meaning the club has plenty of say regarding the signal-caller’s status for the 2026 season. For a piece published on Tuesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN suggested that Lynch could do Jones a favor at some point after the new league year opens on March 11.
Would 49ers let Mac Jones choose next NFL stop?
“While Jones won’t have full say in a potential trade, his relationship with the Niners is strong enough that if multiple offers were on the table, he’d get some say in where he lands,” Wagoner explained. “And it’s a safe bet that his preference would be to land in a place that most closely resembles what he’s had in San Francisco both culturally and in terms of offensive system.”
Jones could become the top proven signal-caller available if the 49ers allow the 27-year-old to explore his options, as he went 5-3 across eight starts during the 2025 regular season when San Francisco QB1 Brock Purdy was sidelined with a toe injury. San Francisco signed
Purdy to a five-year, $265M contract extension that included $181M in guarantees and a no-trade clause last offseason, so he’s in no danger of losing the full-time starting job.
As for Jones, he has made it known he’d like an opportunity to be a team’s first-choice option at the position. That said, he hasn’t yet officially requested a trade.
Mac Jones linked with NFC team
For a different article updated on Tuesday, Vic Tafur of The Athletic wrote that the Minnesota Vikings are among teams “expected to make big offers for Mac Jones” as soon as during this week’s NFL scouting combine. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell may be ready to sit 2024 first-round draft choice J.J. McCarthy after McCarthy was unavailable due to injuries for 24 of a possible 34 games across his first two seasons. It’s also thought O’Connell could view current Pittsburgh Steelers veteran Aaron Rodgers as a Band-Aid option at the position if Minnesota can’t land a younger quarterback such as Jones.
Similar to others, Tafur hinted that the 49ers may want a second-round draft pick included in a trade package for Jones’ services.
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