The Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals could all be in the market for a quarterback in 2026.
The Vikings have J.J. McCarthy under center now, but the jury is still out on him being a true franchise quarterback. As a result, it's possible the Vikings will bring someone in who has more experience as an insurance policy in 2026, assuming Carson Wentz, who will be a free agent, isn't brought back.
The Dolphins are pretty much stuck with Tua Tagovailoa for at least one more year, but if they do find a way to move off of him next offseason, they'll need someone to replace him.
In Arizona, the it is believed that the Cardinals and Kyler Murray will part ways, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, which would leave journeyman Jacoby Brissett as the only veteran signal-caller on the roster.
Taking all that into consideration, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer named the Vikings, Dolphins and Cardinals as possible landing spots for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones, who has one more year left on his $8 million contract but could go on the trade block in 2026.
So where could he go? I’d look at teams such as the Vikings, Dolphins and Cardinals (the latter pending any potential coaching changes). In the case of Minnesota, it’d be a way to bring in competition for J.J. McCarthy and provide a layer of insurance at an affordable rate for a loaded roster, should McCarthy not ascend through the rest of this season. In the case of the other two, Jones would be an affordable scheme fit that could help those teams detach from expensive quarterbacks who have one year left of heavy guarantees.
Jones has been a revelation for the 49ers this season with Brock Purdy missing time due to injury. As a result, Jones' career has been revived and there could be teams looking at him as a possible starter in 2026.
We know the Niners aren't going to move off Purdy, and they have $265 million worth of reasons not to. That would seem to make Jones expendable.
There are a few things for the Niners to weigh when considering a Jones trade.
Purdy's injury issues this season might lead to San Francisco wanting to hold on to Jones, who has proven to be very valuable as a top-notch backup. In fact, one can argue the Niners would be on their way to missing the playoffs without him.
On the flip side, the team might want to do right by Jones and send him to a team that gives him an opportunity to start. That approach would be a win-win, as the Niners would net some much-needed draft capital from a Jones trade.
In fact, Breer believes it's not outlandish to think the Niners could get as much as one Day 2 pick and one conditional Day 3 selection in return for the veteran quarterback.
If that's the case, the Niners shouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on a Jones trade.
More NFL news:
- Bucky Irving gets projected return date amid injury, off-the-field issues
- Surprise Daniel Jones injury update puts QB's Week 12 status in question
- Joe Burrow injury update from Bengals leaves door open for Week 12 return
- Steelers' Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell usage plan confirmed by ESPN
- Bears offseason trade proposal lands $160 million superstar defender