The New York Jets must get creative when acquiring their next starting quarterback this offseason.
That much became evident when Oregon quarterback Dante Moore decided against entering the 2026 NFL draft. With no straightforward option available at No. 2 overall in the draft, the Jets may shift attention to the veteran market.
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Free agency doesn’t possess exciting options. Are the Jets confident in their ability to support Malik Willis, free agency’s top signal-caller, like the Green Bay Packers did? Willis is by far the most intriguing quarterback set to reach the market, but he’s still a developmental option.
The Jets are likely to find an intriguing quarterback via the trade market. Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa are some of the quarterbacks rumored to be available. What about Mac Jones of the San Francisco 49ers?
Matt Barrows, who covers the 49ers for The Athletic, recently reported that the stars seem to be aligning for a trade despite the team’s public claims that they want to retain their backup quarterback.
The former first-round bust of the New England Patriots rehabilitated his reputation with the 49ers this past season. Jones finished 5-3 as a starter while completing a career-high 69.6 percent of his passing attempts.
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The 49ers may not be able to resist temptation. There would be league-wide interest in acquiring Jones, a reclamation project by head coach Kyle Shanahan, after another just won the Super Bowl in Sam Darnold with the Seattle Seahawks.
Would the Jets be a fit, with Frank Reich as offensive coordinator?
The Jets’ next quarterback may arrive via an offseason trade. There are multiple options worth considering. Jones is one of the quarterbacks who should garner consideration.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Should the New York Jets trade for QB Mac Jones this offseason?