Why Jets Traded for Raiders' Geno Smith Instead of 49ers' Mac Jones

The Jets opted to trade for Geno Smith. Why didn't they swing a trade for Mac Jones instead?

Jan 17, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) rolls out against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The New York Jets have been very busy this month, which comes after they were very busy at the NFL Trade Deadline last season and pretty busy to begin the offseason.

They've traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins while adding multiple solid players to the defense, including Joseph Ossai and Demario Davis, in free agency's early tampering period.

But they weren't done there.

NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Jets have agreed to a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire veteran quarterback Geno Smith.

"Trade: the Raiders are sending QB Geno Smith and a 2026 7th-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for a 2026 6th-round pick, per ESPN sources. Smith returns to the team for which he started his NFL career for in 2013," Schefter wrote in a post to Twitter/X on Tuesday.

Why did the Jets trade for Geno Smith?

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to throw in the third quarter against the New York Giants at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Trading for Smith might not seem like the best move for the Jets, but there are a lot of reasons why this deal makes sense.

First and foremost, the Jets likely weren't going to find their franchise quarterback this offseason. The options were limited and the draft class doesn't have more than one franchise quarterback.

Smith is affordable, coming over for a late round pick swap while also restructuring his deal, and provides the potential that he could transform back to the quarterback he was a few seasons ago.

It's a low risk move for the Jets. They don't have anything to lose. All the other top quarterback options would have provided the Jets with more risk than Smith does.

Why didn't the Jets trade for Mac Jones?

Dec 22, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones has been mentioned as a trade fit for the Jets, but they didn't opt in that direction. Considering Jones looked better than Smith last season, fans might be wondering why the Jets opted for Smith over Jones. The answer is simple. Jones is too expensive to acquire.

NFL insider Dianna Russini reported that multiple teams have asked about trading for Jones, but the price tag is far too high.

"A few teams have called the San Francisco 49ers about QB Mac Jones, but many interested around the league describe their price as 'astronomical,'" Russini wrote in a post to Twitter/X on Tuesday.

This likely means the 49ers are asking for well over a third-round pick to give up Jones. There's a chance they're asking for a second rounder or higher, which would be way too much for the Jets to give up on a flier quarterback.