49ers' Mac Jones expected to draw trade interest, according to NFL insider

Matt Sullivan

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49ers' Mac Jones expected to draw trade interest, according to NFL insider image

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The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the more banged-up teams in the NFL. Brock Purdy, the $262 million starting quarterback, has missed most of the season.

Fortunately, Mac Jones has come in relief and been a quality starter, keeping the 49ers' season alive. But his strong play has also opened the door for an interesting offseason discussion.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports that the 49ers are expected to draw trade interest in Jones after his impressive stint with San Francisco. Purdy's absence might've opened the door to San Francisco landing a strong return for Jones this offseason.

49ers could explore Mac Jones trade after 2025 amid interest

"What Mac Jones did for himself this year, and for the 49ers," Rapoport said, "was re-establish himself as a starting quarterback that can win games. And he has one year left with the 49ers, (so) surely wonder if they will end up trading him this offseason."

Trading Jones would make a lot of sense for the 49ers, as Jones would be sitting on the bench as long as Purdy is healthy, and while having a quality backup is nice, the return they could get for Jones would be too good to pass up.

"They are going to have interest (in Jones)," Rapoport said. "There are going to be many, many teams, in what could be a lackluster quarterback draft, who need a guy, and Mac Jones has shown, as he did as a rookie, that he is a guy."

A team like the New York Jets, who have plenty of ammo in 2026 and 2027, could wind up trading for Jones instead of going into 2026 with Justin Fields or another quarterback.

More: Kyle Shanahan reveals huge 49ers' Brock Purdy news for Week 11 vs. Cardinals

Plenty of other teams would also be willing to spend draft capital for Jones. He's cheap and likely affordable in terms of starting quarterbacks since the 49ers have Purdy already.

During the 2025 season thus far, across his eight starts, Jones has 2,151 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions on 201/289 passing. In his eight starts, he's 5-3, which includes a win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5.

Jones is only 27 years old, and while he might have some uncertainty in a new offense with worse weapons, his 2025 performance is good enough for other NFL teams to try him out as a starter in 2026.

Not only has Jones revived his NFL career, but he's also given other teams a trade target to go after in a weaker quarterback draft class.

San Francisco could trade Jones after the 2025 season, as they'll likely have plenty of interested teams. What John Lynch can get for Jones is a fascinating question, and one that could be answered this offseason.

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Staff Writer