An incredibly logical trade sits right in front of both the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants and could solve their biggest problems.
The Giants are in desperate need of a quarterback after starter Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, and assuming backup Jameis Winston is not going to be up to the task.
The 49ers are in desperate need of an edge rusher after a rash of injuries, including the latest to former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa on Friday — a calf injury that will keep him out for 2 weeks, if not longer.
The Giants have reportedly been shopping an edge rusher and former 1st-round pick, Kayvon Thibodeaux, in trades for a long time. The asking price is a 2nd-round pick.
The 49ers have reportedly been shopping backup quarterback and former 1st-round pick Mac Jones in trades for a long time. The asking price is a 2nd-round pick.
It’s almost too simple — the Giants need to trade Thibodeaux to the 49ers for Jones, straight up.
Mac Jones Tops List of NFL Trade Candidates
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put Jones at No. 1 on his list of potential NFL trade candidates headed into Week 3.
“Jones went 5-3 as a starter while throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025,” Knox wrote. “He’s a terrific insurance policy for a team with championship aspirations, but he’s also set to be a 2027 free agent. He’s almost certain to depart for a starting opportunity next year, and at some point, offers for Jones may be too great to ignore. We’ve already seen a handful of starters go down with significant injuries, and there’s a good chance we’ll see more before the trade deadline. If the 49ers can leverage multiple suitors against one another, they might even be able to come away from a trade with an extra first-round pick.”
Asking Price Called ‘Too High’ for Thibodeaux
The Giants’ asking price for Thibodeaux this offseason was reportedly a 2nd-round pick.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan revealed the Giants received offers for Thibodeaux, exactly what those offers were, and why they didn’t bite.
“The Giants took trade calls on Thibodeaux this offseason, but they were never looking to give him away, so they kept him when the best offer was a fourth-round pick,” Duggan wrote. “It seems likely Thibodeaux will be elsewhere next year based on the Giants’ investment in Burns and Carter. But the Steelers showed this offseason a team can pay three edge rushers when they gave third edge rusher Nick Herbig a four-year, $100 million extension. The Steelers are already paying TJ Watt ($41 million per year) and Alex Highsmith ($17 million per year). The Giants have some wiggle room if they want to commit to Thibodeaux, since Carter can’t be extended until after the 2027 season while Burns is signed through 2028.”
49ers Trade Pitch Swaps QB Mac Jones for Ex-1st Round Edge Rusher