A lot of the chatter early on this offseason was around whether the San Francisco 49ers were going to trade backup quarterback Mac Jones. It seems a lot of that chatter was overblown, and now some are even speculating that Jones could stay with the Niners beyond this year.
49ers insider Matt Maiocco speculated on a recent episode of the 49ers Talk podcast that there is a possibility Jones could return to the Niners even after he hits free agency following this season:
“I would not rule out the possibility that Mac Jones is around for a while… [I]f Mac Jones doesn’t get off the sideline this coming season, is there any team that would view him as a starter in 2027?”
It’s an interesting point from Maiocco.
Most people in the NFL, both fans and executives, have the memory of a goldfish. If starting quarterback Brock Purdy remains healthy and starts all of 49ers' games and plays every minute of meaningful football for them, then not many are going to remember the fact Jones went 5-3 as a starter and completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 2,151 yards with 13 touchdown passes and six interceptions last season.
That doesn’t change the fact Jones was impressive. Under the right circumstances, he could certainly be a successful starting quarterback in the NFL, but the question is whether he could find his way into that situation.
Typically, teams looking for a quarterback are struggling squads trying to rebuild. Maybe Jones could serve as a sort of placeholder starter for a team as it searches for a long-term guy, but Maiocco may be right that most teams will still view him as a backup.
If that’s the case, then why not stay with San Francisco? He’d be in a place where he is clearly comfortable and got back to loving the game of football. Jones is able to be himself with the Niners in a way he was never allowed to be in other places… cough, cough, New England.
His goofy personality and laugh was embraced by his teammates and by fans. There’s no guarantee he’d be as comfortable or feel at home with a different organization.
Of course, if a team does view him as a starter, or if Purdy is banged up a lot in 2026 and Jones plays well again, then the Alabama product will almost certainly depart in free agency.
Still, it would be nice if he was content to stay with San Francisco because that would mean the Niners will have one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL on the bench who can step in whenever needed and play solid.
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