The San Francisco 49ers have one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL, and they aren’t in any hurry to give him up.
With injuries piling up at quarterback around the league, Mac Jones’ name has come up in trade rumors ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. However, it’s going to take a lot for San Francisco to let him go.
“The 49ers wouldn’t move backup QB Mac Jones for anything less than a huge offer,” NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday.
That falls right in line with what general manager John Lynch said this week. Any team interested in Jones now knows it’s going to take an offer too good to refuse to pry Jones away from SF.
49ers Want a Big Return for Mac Jones
Lynch made the team’s stance clear during his weekly appearance on KNBR on Thursday.
“We’d have to be really motivated to move Mac,” Lynch said. “Kind of a situation where it makes too much sense in terms of what we had and what we were able to receive for that. But we’re very comfortable with keeping Mac.
“You get calls on a variety of things. I think, as I’ve told you guys, people aren’t doing their jobs unless they’re making calls. We’re very comfortable with Mac. He makes our team better. Brock is our guy, but we’ve also seen what Mac can do if called upon.”
Given the number of injuries at QB this year, and Brock Purdy’s injury history last year, few can blame the 49ers for not wanting to part with Jones.
Lynch’s stance isn’t new either. The 49ers set an “astronomical” price on Jones in the offseason, and The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt reported that San Francisco might demand a second-round pick and more.
With Brock Purdy sidelined by turf toe last season, Jones went 5-3 in eight starts. In 11 games, he completed 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Jones hasn’t thrown a pass this season with Purdy healthy. Still, he’s a bargain at $3.55 million in the final year of his contract. That’s a small price for insurance on a 6-1 team.
Why QB-Needy Teams Want Mac Jones
There’s no shortage of teams that could use him.
The Minnesota Vikings top the list. Kyler Murray is dealing with a hamstring injury. Carson Wentz is expected to start Monday night against the Buffalo Bills, and Minnesota already traded J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants.
Amazon’s James Palmer reported the Vikings are open to adding a quarterback at the deadline. ESPN’s Adam Schefter even repeated it over and over on his podcast.
“I’m watching the Vikings quarterback position,” Schefter declared.
Jones would also fit right in with Kevin O’Connell’s offense, which is similar to the Shanahan system he played in last season.
The Philadelphia Eagles made the cut too after ruling out Jalen Hurts for the rest of the season with blood clots. The Athletic named Philadelphia as the lone landing spot for Jones on its trade deadline big board.
The Baltimore Ravens were another fit after losing Lamar Jackson (thumb) and Tyler Huntley (turf toe). However, they acquired QB Jacoby Brissett from the Arizona Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Jones will likely be a free agent next offseason looking for a starting job. So the temptation for the 49ers to flip him for a Day 2 draft pick makes sense. However, Lynch and the 49ers clearly prefer the security they have at QB over adding more future draft picks.
49ers Send Clear Message to Teams Interested in Trading for Mac Jones