The NFL has seen moves fly throughout the league in recent days, but one team that has been a bit quiet is the San Francisco 49ers. They have made a handful of signings, highlighted by signing WR Mike Evans to a big deal, but the roster still needs a bit more work.
This could be done in the NFL Draft, and the 49ers currently have seven picks for 2026. Adding some more draft assets could go a long way, and one way to do that is by trading QB Mac Jones, but it seems that’s unlikely.
San Francisco 49ers Unwilling to Move On From Mac Jones Unless Their Asking Price Is Met
With franchise QB Brock Purdy dealing with injuries throughout his career, the 49ers have valued the backup QB position very highly. In the 2025 season, that was Jones, who was with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 and originally selected by the New England Patriots in the first round.
When Purdy went down with injuries last season, Jones took over and ended up starting eight games and playing in a total of 11. He performed well in several key metrics, ranking among the league’s better quarterbacks in yards per attempt and finishing ninth overall in the PFSN NFL QB Impact Metric.
Jones showed he can play winning football, which is why QB-needy teams interested in the former first-round pick are met with an “astronomical” price, per Dianna Russini. She wrote on X, “A few teams have called the San Francisco 49ers about QB Mac Jones, but many interested around the league describe their price as ‘astronomical.'”
A few teams have called the San Francisco 49ers about QB Mac Jones, but many interested around the league describe their price as “astronomical.”
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 10, 2026
As mentioned, the 49ers value their backup QB position very highly, so keeping Mac Jones, who can lead the team to wins if need be, should be a priority for the team. The issue is that this might actually be holding the 49ers back.
Rightfully so, San Francisco should pay more for Jones than many backup QBs around the league, but describing it as “astronomical” makes it seem way above a realistic price.
If the 49ers just lower it a bit, they could get a really good deal done and load up on draft capital to upgrade the team for next season.
Keeping Jones could be a great option in case Purdy does get injured again, but the Kyle Shanahan offense is very QB-friendly, so finding a serviceable backup QB to replace Jones is not too difficult. It would probably be a downgrade, but the potential draft capital from the trade could be worth it.
