Debunking the Latest Trade Scenario Involving 49ers QB Mac Jones

This trade scenario doesn't make sense at all.

Nov 2, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up prior to a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers have remained adamant that quarterback Mac Jones will not be traded. That's been their stance since the beginning of the offseason.

If there was a time to trade him, it was before or during the NFL draft. That way, the 49ers could use that draft pick to help them in 2026. Now that it's come and gone, it makes zero sense for the 49ers to trade Jones.

However, that didn't stop The San Francisco Chronicle's Eric Branch from mentioning Jones in another trade scenario. He believes that if Kurtis Rourke, their 2025 seventh-round draft pick, impresses the 49ers, Jones will be expendable.

While I can see his point, which is that the 49ers might as well ship Jones off for adequate draft capital if they have another solid quarterback, especially with one year left on Jones' deal, I don't see any avenue where the 49ers trade him.

Trading Jones won't be an option for the 49ers

Nov 30, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Jones proved to the 49ers that having an excellent backup quarterback is crucial. He helped them win five games last year while Brock Purdy was on the mend from a turf toe injury.

They also saw the Denver Broncos lose the AFC Championship game because they didn't have a capable backup quarterback for Bo Nix. It makes no sense to trade Jones.

Even if Rourke looks good in training camp and the preseason, the 49ers will never truly know how good he is until he plays in a regular-season game. They know what they have in Jones.

Suppose they were to trade Jones because Rourke was excellent in camp and the preseason; it would be an incredibly wild gamble. They'll either look like geniuses or completely inept.

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up prior to the first half against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Another reason they'll never make that trade is that they don't look beyond the immediate season once they're in it. They're not going to trade Jones for draft picks that'll help them next year.

Keeping Jones helps them immediately, and he's proven. Rourke will never be proven until he gets in there, and that's a risk the 49ers will never take. They're not that crazy to do it.

The only way this would pan out for them is if Purdy was healthy for the entire season. And that's a bit of a stretch. One that the 49ers aren't willing to test.

Otherwise, they'd be more open to trading Jones. I don't see any way the 49ers let Jones go. The time to do it was months ago. He's not going anywhere now.

---

Follow Jose on X (Twitter) @JS3sanchezz to interact with him on the 49ers and more.