Why the 49ers Can’t Afford to Lose Mac Jones in 2026

There's no quarterback crisis here.

Nov 16, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

If the 2025 season has proven anything, it’s that the San Francisco 49ers are extremely fortunate to have two quality quarterbacks on their roster.

The 49ers have a 10-4 record, reflecting their strong season. Brock Purdy is 5-1 as a starter, and Mac Jones has a respectable 5-3 record when he stepped in.

The front office has always made it clear that this is Purdy’s team, and understandably so. The trip to the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons showed why this was the right call.

But Jones’ performances this season have sparked a plethora of trade rumors and interest from teams looking for a starting quarterback next year, which again proves why the 49ers must hold onto him.

Since Purdy’s return from his turf toe injury, the 49ers have played four games and have won all of them, with three strong performances and one one-off disaster.

Despite this, the dynamic between both quarterbacks remains the same, and offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has revealed how they have supported each other during this stretch.

"Brock's role is just really of helping Mac understand how we go through the process of our game planning week and kind of the steps along the way," Kubiak told reporters on Friday.

"And kind of sharing probably his experience about how he prepares for the week, for how we put things in and how we kind of go through each day. I think that helped Mac a lot, you know. And then Mac just being around for that part of the season and seeing Brock go through it."

Jun 11, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks Mac Jones (10) and Brock Purdy (13) work on passing drills during a team OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

2026 is Jones’ second year on his extremely affordable $8,410,000 contract, making him a low-cost option for the 49ers to keep a quarterback of his quality while using practically minimal cap space.

Keeping him for that second year ensures that if he ever needs to step in for Purdy again, he will be ready to seize the opportunity and make a difference.

"Those guys are just good friends. They support each other. They're good teammates," Kubiak added.

"Mac's a pro, like he's a guy who's just here all the time. This guy, he loves football and so there was no issue with him being ready and having his own process to prepare.

"So that's what it takes to be a good backup. You got to prepare like you're a starter and that's what he did."

This is a really healthy dynamic and situation for the 49ers.