After reviving his career with the San Francisco 49ers, there has been no shortage of speculation about the team trading quarterback Mac Jones.
Jones filled in for an injured Brock Purdy last season and kept the Niners afloat, which played a huge role in San Francisco eventually making the playoffs.
That showing figures to draw the interest of quarterback-needy teams, and with no path to a starting job in San Francisco, the expectation has been that the 49ers will trade Jones, who has made it clear he wants to start but also understands the business side of things.
“Honestly, it’s a business. You know how this goes,” Jones said. “I’ve proven I can be a starter. I’ve proven I can be a starter in multiple different spots. I have 50-plus starts or whatever. I know how to do it, but it’s also a business. I understand both sides of it.”
However, according to Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom, Jones may not get that opportunity, as the Niners are instead intent on hanging on to him in 2026.
“Although the 49ers already have $60M starting quarterback Brock Purdy and pressing roster needs at other positions, league sources say they are still prioritizing retaining backup quarterback Mac Jones,” La Canfora reported.
This tracks with what head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the season when he noted he would be “surprised” if Jones didn’t stay with the Niners.
“[I had] awesome conversations with him, just like I did with a number of players,” he said of Jones. “As any player on our team, including myself and John [Lynch], you always listen to people and trade offers, but we’re also not into getting rid of good players. So, I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.”
We still find it hard to believe that the Niners would deny Jones a chance to start elsewhere if a team comes calling, but San Francisco isn’t going to just give him away, either.
As signs continue to point to the 49ers keeping Jones, this is bad news for some of the quarterback-needy teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
The Steelers still don’t have an answer from Aaron Rodgers, the Vikings need a veteran insurance policy for J.J. McCarthy and the Dolphins and Jets are both moving in a different direction at the position in 2026.
By keeping Jones, who is an ideal target after his career revival and because he is still just 27 years old, which makes him young enough to be a possible long-term solution, all four of those teams have one less quarterback option to consider this offseason.
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