By now, it sure seems as if the San Francisco 49ers will simply hold onto backup quarterback Mac Jones this season and let his contract expire once 2027 rolls around.
It's not a bad plan. After all, Brock Purdy's notable injury history effectively requires a capable signal-caller be available, and Jones did more than showcase that last season over eight starts, helping the Niners go 5-3 during that span while completing nearly 70 percent of his pass attempts.
And yet no quarterback-needy team seriously turned to San Francisco to trade for Jones, suggesting whatever perceived trade market for the former first-round draft pick was much colder than originally thought.
The 49ers can still maintain a high asking price, knowing Jones should easily fetch a compensatory pick if he leaves via free agency a year from now.
But, if a deal ends up surfacing—any team could potentially lose its starter to an injury between now and the trade deadline—it's reasonable the Niners rexamine their options.
And they may have some additional fodder to share to Jones seekers now.
Latest QB2 rankings put 49ers' Mac Jones way toward the top
Granted, who knows how many front offices explore a backup quarterback-ranking list dished out by Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano. But, even if one quarterback-hungry team wanted to explore some options and saw the SI piece as evidence, it could ultimately benefit San Francisco in the long run.
Combing through all 32 teams' No. 2 signal-callers, it's not hard to conclude there are some bad backup options out there, but a team wishing to trade with the 49ers for Jones would assuredly have to lose its starter at some point over the following months. The criteria would also have to include a bad backup situation, as well as likely playoff aspirations, too.
Otherwise, it'd be rather pointless for said team to send coveted draft capital over to the Niners for Jones' services.
Of Jones, Manzano ranked him second among all backups, detailing the selection as follows:
Jones kept the 49ers’ playoff hopes alive during a massive wave of injuries during the first half of the season. He produced a memorable upset road win against the Rams in Week 5, recording 342 yards and two touchdowns. Jones went 5–3 while filling in for the injured Brock Purdy. If the 2021 first-round pick hadn’t signed a two-year, $8.4 million deal with the 49ers, he might have gotten some interest as a starter this offseason.
Perhaps the ranking and subsequent declaration of Jones missing out on "some interest as a starter" would aid in a proposed trade.
Of course, the needed context for such a development hasn't materialized yet, so San Francisco can continue to do what it's already doing.
Waiting.
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