All the Mac Jones Trade Buzz Feels Like a 49ers Smokescreen to Boost His Price

As soon as the 49ers' season ended, head coach Kyle Shanahan began a campaign to drive up the price of backup quarterback Mac Jones. Maybe Shanahan would prefer to keep Jones, but he's a valuable asset who will net the Niners valuable draft capital or players. In other words, he's getting traded.

“You always listen to people with trade offers,” Shanahan said. “We’re also not into getting rid of good players, so I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.”

With Brock Purdy locked in as San Francisco's QB1 and Jones possessing more than enough talent to be one of 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL, it's a no-brainer that the 49ers will do well by Jones and trade him to a team in search of a new starter.

That's why no one should be shocked that 49ers beat writers are now producing content that hints at a looming trade. For example, Matt Barrows, who covers the Niners for The Athletic, published a story Thursday titled, "49ers say they’ll keep Mac Jones, but stars could be aligning for a trade."

That's why Jones is so interesting to the Vikings, as head coach Kevin O'Connell has made it clear that J.J. McCarthy will have competition next season.

"I think there has to be (competition)," O'Connell said Jan. 13. "I think that's what's going to make everybody better in that room. I definitely want a competitive situation in that room."

Jones went 5-3 in eight starts for the 49ers, and he completed 69.6% of his passes for 2,153 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He even beat the Rams on a Thursday night without tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall.

The timing of Barrows' story is perfect because beat writers will converge in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine this weekend, spending most of next week schmoozing and boozing with coaches and general managers while draft prospects are weighed, measured, quizzed, and tested on the field. The result will likely be dozens of trade rumors involving Jones, and the Vikings are a lock to be mentioned in many of them.

According to reports, the 49ers could drive up the asking price for Jones since the draft isn't loaded with top-notch quarterbacks and the free agency class isn't all that strong. Plus, they would be due to receive a compensatory pick in 2027 if they keep Jones in 2026 and lose him as a free agent after next season.

If the Vikings like Jones but don't want to pay San Francisco's price, they're in an advantageous position, so long as it's true that all of the top quarterbacks want to find a way to play for the Vikings.

“My sense right now, from asking around, is all the top quarterbacks that will be, or could be, available, Kyler Murray, Geno Smith, this is the place they want to go. It is Minnesota,” ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said last week.

NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported Wednesday, "rival executives expect the 49ers to put up a fight to keep" Jones. Again, it might be true, but it's also possible that this is more information being pushed publicly to help drive up the price for Jones.

Bottom line: Expect rumors about Jones and other quarterbacks, including Kyler Murray, Malik Willis, Aaron Rodgers, and others, to keep churning as we inch closer to the NFL's legal tampering window, which opens on March 11.

All the while, McCarthy works behind the scenes to do everything he possibly can to avoid losing the starting job.

"J.J. McCarthy is a guy that wants to be great," O'Connell said. "I know he's going to work tirelessly to do that. I know his teammates have a lot of confidence in what he's gonna go to work to improve on this offseason and come back, have a great offseason, and be ready to hit the ground running in 2026. I think a deep and talented quarterback room will only enhance his ability to do that, and (I) look forward to being a part of that process."