49ers hit jackpot in Mac Jones trade proposal as suspicion grows around quarterback-hungry NFC team
Mac Jones could generate a lot of capital for the Niners.
The San Francisco 49ers were smart giving Mac Jones a two-year contract in free agency last year. Now, they hold the cards to keep him as a backup to Brock Purdy, or could get high value in a potential trade.
Back in January, head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear: The 49ers’ idea is to keep Jones, unless an offer is too good to pass up.
“You always listen to people with trade offers,” Shanahan said. “We’re also not into getting rid of good players, so I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.”
Well, an opportunity like that may arise soon.
Vikings would get Mac Jones in proposed trade
ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell proposed some trades that would make sense for both teams ahead of the free agency period, and one of the deals would send quarterback Mac Jones to the Minnesota Vikings for the type of compensation that makes general manager John Lynch and Shanahan pause.
The 49ers would send Jones and a 2027 third-round pick on the deal, while getting a 2026 second-rounder, plus conditional 2027 fifth- and 2028 third-rounders.
This is how Barnwell rationalizes the trade:
“This would be sort of a complicated trade, but the Vikings would be adding a quarterback who showed some of his former upside in San Francisco. Jones posted a 62.3 Total QBR during his lone season with the 49ers, coming in a little more than 10 points behind Brock Purdy’s 73.0 mark. Jones is due just $4.7 million in 2026, which will be the final year of his contract. And of course, we know that the Vikings have been willing to take a swing on quarterbacks who have gone through the Kyle Shanahan rejuvenation cycle before, having signed Sam Darnold after the Super Bowl champion’s only year in San Francisco.” — Bill Barnwell.
The 49ers don’t necessarily want to trade Mac Jones, but getting a Day 2 swap with the potential to add even more future capital depending on Jones’ playing time in Minnesota is an enticing proposition.
Sure, Jones did play well for the 49ers when needed. But Kyle Shanahan has proved over and over again that he can maximize the quarterback level with his system and play-calling abilities. Barnwell himself mentioned that the Niners could sign a new backup like Kirk Cousins, with whom Shanahan worked in Washington more than a decade ago.
Mac Jones is a fine quarterback and deserves credit for how he played in San Francisco. However, the 49ers’ success ultimately depends on Brock Purdy’s health and performance anyway. If the 49ers can transform a solid free agent signing into significant extra draft capital resources, that would per se be a huge win for the front office and coaching staff. Especially for a player who couldn’t prove himself in two previous experiences on other teams.