San Francisco 49ers QB Mac Jones is a name in the trade speculation after teams suffered injuries to their starters in Week 2. New York Giants‘ Jaxson Dart and Washington Commanders‘ Jayden Daniels were among the quarterbacks who suffered injuries.
As a result, Jones’ name has come up in the conversation regarding a potential target if these teams’ current backups don’t perform and their season heads off the rails.
Nonetheless, while the 49ers could listen to offers, Niners reporter Grant Cohn states that the team shouldn’t entertain the idea of trading Jones. The backup is major insurance if Brock Purdy gets injured. Jones proved last season that he can steady the ship if Purdy misses any time.
“What my thought is, if you trade for a player, that’s fine, but you don’t trade a player for a player,” Cohn said in a Sept. 23 livestream on his X account. “You don’t trade Mac Jones because this season is what matters… Don’t trade Mac Jones because now you’ve just created an issue in one place to fix an issue somewhere else. You’re gonna need that backup quarterback.
“You’re gonna need him most likely, and if you don’t, great. But, like, Kurtis Rourke, because he played one good half of a preseason game one time, now you’re gonna trust him for four to six weeks if Brock Purdy gets a high ankle sprain? F— that. Maybe next year, not this year.”
49ers Should Consider Trading Draft Picks, Not Players
Moreover, Cohn believes draft picks should be on the table, not any player on this team, since the Niners should have all hands on deck to try to win a Super Bowl this season.
“If there’s ever a team that’s worth mortgaging the future for, it’s this team for a lot of reasons,” Cohn added. “So you trade picks. If you need to trade a third-round pick next year and a third-round pick the year after that, fucking trade them because you suck at drafting.
“There’s a high probability the guys you draft, even if they look promising, are gonna get hurt anyway just because you’re you. So why don’t you trade those picks for a player who’s proven and bring them in and win the Super Bowl this year?”
Niners Urged to at Least Listen to Offers on Mac Jones
Someone who has a different stance than Cohn is Mark Willard of 95.7 The Game. He’s not pushing for the 49ers to trade Jones, but Willard believes the Niners should at least take calls to see what teams are willing to offer.
“I hope that the 49ers can keep Mac Jones, but yes, you would be open to listening,” Willard said in a Sept. 22 video from 95.7 The Game. “… Usually, trades at the trade deadline are not player-for-player in the NFL. It’s usually a pick for a player.
“So I get that. But if there’s a team that has really arrived at a position of need and they’re desperate and they’re willing to overpay, and you could, for instance, get a pick and a player or whatever in return, I’d sure be open to it. And the reason is simply this: He’s a free agent, so he’s going to be gone after this year one way or another.”
Since joining the 49ers in 2025, Jones has a passer rating of 97.4 with 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 12 games, per StatMuse.
49ers Get Blunt Mac Jones Message Amid Trade Speculation