Jets Continue Getting Trade Buzz For 49ers First Round QB

The New York Jets desperately need to find a new quarterback this offseason.

They took a risk on Justin Fields last offseason and it didn't pay off for the team. Fields didn't play well and the Jets ended up benching him. As a result, they're going to need to dive into the NFL draft, free agency, and the trade block to try to find their next franchise quarterback.

Unfortunately for the Jets, there aren't very many solid options available.

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Justin Melo of Jets Wire recently suggested the Jets could target San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones in a trade this offseason.

Jets continue to be linked to 49ers QB Mac Jones

"Free agency doesn't possess exciting options. Are the Jets confident in their ability to support Malik Willis, free agency's top signal-caller, like the Green Bay Packers did? Willis is by far the most intriguing quarterback set to reach the market, but he's still a developmental option," Melo wrote. "The Jets are likely to find an intriguing quarterback via the trade market. Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa are some of the quarterbacks rumored to be available. What about Mac Jones of the San Francisco 49ers?

"Matt Barrows, who covers the 49ers for The Athletic, recently reported that the stars seem to be aligning for a trade despite the team's public claims that they want to retain their backup quarterback. The former first-round bust of the New England Patriots rehabilitated his reputation with the 49ers this past season. Jones finished 5-3 as a starter while completing a career-high 69.6 percent of his passing attempts."

Jones is seemingly the perfect answer for the Jets if the price is right.

The former first round pick looked excellent as a backup for the 49ers last year, but he doesn't have any chance in fighting for a starting job over Brock Purdy. As a result, he could be expendable if the Jets are willing to part ways with draft capital.

The Jets shouldn't be willing to give up too much for Jones because they might not be as desperate as they seem. If they can't land a quarterback this offseason, they should almost certainly be able to land one in the 2027 NFL Draft, considering they have three picks in the first round.

Either way, going after Jones would make a lot of sense if it cost a third-round pick or cheaper.

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