If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to land San Francisco 49ers QB Mac Jones, it won’t come easy. Or cheap. CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan created a list of trade proposals for Jones, conjuring up a deal that would send him to Pittsburgh.

The trade:

Steelers Receive: QB Mac Jones
49ers Receive: 2026 2nd-round pick (No. 53 overall)

Reminder if you hate this proposal, this isn’t our creation.

A steep price to pay but the likely cost it would take to acquire him. As we wrote yesterday, GM John Lynch is probably asking for the same capital he once traded for New England Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo. A player of similar age and situation, a backup behind Tom Brady who briefly shined the year before. The 49ers got good mileage out of Garoppolo, and the Steelers would hope to get the same – or better – from Jones.

A poor quarterback market gives the 49ers plenty of leverage and keeps Jones’ price tag high. It’s why Malik Willis is set to receive $30 million-plus per season despite a limited sample size and why Jones could command an early Day 2 pick despite struggling in New England and starting just five games in 2025. He turned the corner in San Francisco, keeping the team afloat until Brock Purdy returned from an injury.

On an expiring contract, can Pittsburgh justify giving up a second rounder for Jones? Of course, if he plays well, the Steelers would presumably look to extend him or, at worst, use the franchise tag. Holding a dozen draft picks makes it easier to part with one, too. But the ideal scenario is Pittsburgh sending one of its three third-round picks for Jones. Of course, when it comes to trades, “ideal” rarely happens.

A year ago, the Steelers sent a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for WR DK Metcalf. Even knowing the positional value, is Jones worth the same? And would Pittsburgh go back-to-back years without second-round selections for a team that needs to be more successful in the draft? That hasn’t happened since 1962 and 1963.

For Pittsburgh, the first step is receiving an answer from Aaron Rodgers. If he returns, the prospect of trading for Jones is out the window. If he doesn’t, the Steelers must swiftly move to a backup plan. Jones is a hot commodity who will generate plenty of leaguewide interest.