The New England Patriots moved on from Mac Jones for a sixth-round pick in 2024.
A couple of years in the future, a national writer is putting a much steeper hypothetical price on their former starting quarterback.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox ranked Jones No. 1 on his NFL trade-block big board entering Week 3, projecting that a deal involving the San Francisco 49ers backup could return a conditional second-round pick in 2027.
Knox named the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders as possible suitors.
That’s a projection, not a report, but the contrast is hard to miss in Foxborough.
The player New England sent away after multipl.e rough seasons is being discussed as one of the most valuable potential trade pieces in football.
Jones’ Trade Value Looks Different After His 49ers Run
The Patriots selected Jones 15th overall in 2021, and his first season had grounds to believe they had found a long-term answer. He started every game of a 10-7 campaign that ended with a playoff berth.
The next two years marked a downfall.
In 2023, Jones threw 10 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions in 11 starts, and New England traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars the following March. The return was a sixth-round pick.
Jones was in Jacksonville before signing with the 49ers in 2025.
When Brock Purdy was unavailable, Jones gave San Francisco more than a few steady snaps. He made eight starts, went 5-3 and finished the year with 2,151 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. The 49ers’ account of his first season described a quarterback who found stability in the same offense he will run again in 2026.
The circumstances are of import.
Jones is Purdy’s backup, and San Francisco has championship ambitions of its own.
Knox acknowledged that the 49ers may be reluctant to surrender that insurance. He also pointed to Jones’ approaching free agency in 2027 and wrote that the team had sought a second-round pick in the spring.
His conditional second-round valuation reflects what a quarterback-needy buyer might pay, and not a deal sitting on the table.
Patriots’ Quarterback Picture Has Moved On With Maye
There’s no indication the Patriots are pursuing a reunion, with Tommy DeVito as a solid backup as Maye starts under center.
Maye helped take New England to the Super Bowl last season, although the first two games of 2026 have been rocky. He threw his fourth interception of the season in Sunday’s 20-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the need to help his quarterback after that game: “We have to do a better job and continue to do a good job of helping our quarterback be efficient,” he said in the team’s postgame transcript.
The club’s film review also cautioned against sweeping conclusions after two games.
Jones’ place atop Knox’s list doesn’t rewrite why New England traded him.
But it shows the quarterback’s ability is really tied to the pieces and coaching around him, and Kyle Shanahan has often demonstrated his expertise as a top-tier offensive mind.
Whether the 49ers ever get that projected second-round pick will depend on a buyer meeting their price and San Francisco deciding it can afford to lose its backup.
Former Patriots 1st-Round QB Floated in Trade Proposal With 2nd-Round Price