49ers predicted to trade QB this offseason to clear logjam originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Brock Purdy's injury-plagued season proved something to the San Francisco 49ers, and the rest of the NFL: Mac Jones can play.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNow what? Is a trade coming?
If Jones is going to be elsewhere in 2026, it'll have to be in a trade, because he's still under contract for next season with the 49ers.
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NFL Trade Rumors writer Logan Ulrich does list Jones as one of his eight notable trade candidates to potentially be moved in the offseason.
"Because he signed that two-year deal (last offseason), Jones remains under contract for 2026, giving the 49ers options," Ulrich writes. "They could just keep him for another season since he's proven to be valuable insurance, especially with how historically injury-prone the 49ers seem to be. They could also trade him to a quarterback-needy team, especially because the options for those teams look like they could be sparse next year. Whether the 49ers get enough interest to actually part with Jones remains to be seen, but they almost certainly will get trade calls."
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It could be a busy offseason for the 'Niners. Ulrich lists Brandon Aiyuk on his trade candidates list, too, and the talented WR seems more likely to be moved than Jones.
If San Francisco does trade Jones, it'll probably need to find a new veteran backup. Adrian Martinez wouldn't cut it behind Purdy.
But if they can line all that up, the 49ers could likely get real value in return in a Jones trade. It's definitely something worth considering once this season is over.
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