In relief of Brock Purdy during the 2025 season, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones went 5-3 in his eight starts and tossed 13 touchdowns against six interceptions. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and had a 97.4 passer rating.

Overall, Jones probably played better than many thought, as he was key in keeping the 49ers in the thick of the NFC race. Well, he’s under contract for one more season, so any team wanting Jones will have to swing a trade.

And with the demand for quarterbacks being at an all-time high, the 49ers could get a handsome return for their backup quarterback. Let’s check out three teams that make the most sense for Jones in the offseason.

Obvious trade destinations for Mac Jones if the San Francisco 49ers move on in 2026Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers, if Aaron Rodgers decides to retire, will need a quarterback. And when you think about it, the team didn’t hire Mike McCarthy to just begin a rebuild. For whatever reason, the front office and ownership can’t seem to accept that undergoing a rebuild is the best long-term play for the team, but here we are.

Swinging a trade for Jones if Rodgers decides to retire could give McCarthy a high floor for success in 2026, and it would honestly fall in line with the Steelers tendency to put a Band-Aid on the most important position in sports.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings need to find an upgrade at quarterback, and this team figures to be one of the more aggressive in the NFL this offseason in trying to find someone to potentially start. With the way things have gone for the Vikings, the team is desperate to regain 2024 success, as letting Sam Darnold leave the building proved to be a huge mistake.

JJ McCarthy was largely playing at a replaceable level in 2025, and that just isn’t something thsi team can have happen in 2026. A trade for Jones would surely give the Vikings their starting quarterback for at least one season, but it would still give them a huge need at the position beyond 2026.

New York Jets

With the New York Jets clearly being in a rebuilding state, the team could look to continue to stock up draft picks, as the 2026 NFL Draft really doesn’t have a clear-cut quarterback for the Jets to take a stab at. What they could do is take a player in day two or three and perhaps hope they can develop.

In the meantime, though, the Jets have to field something at least semi-competent at the quarterback position. For the sake of the coaching staff and the other players on the roster, the Jets need to at least try. Sure, trading a draft pick for Jones after previously trading key players in Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams might not make a lot of sense, but Jones could at least help stabillize things on offense for a year.