The San Francisco 49ers made a big move on Monday by landing wide receiver Mike Evans, but they did lose a fan-favorite in Kendrick Bourne, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals.
Maybe the Cardinals are trying to set up a Mac Jones trade by landing Bourne.
Last year, Jones and Bourne showed that the chemistry they developed with the New England Patriots can traverse the country as they seemingly picked up right where they left off on the Niners.
Jones started eight games when quarterback Brock Purdy was injured, and Bourne had to be the top receiver option for several games when the wide receiver room was decimated by injuries. Bourne had 551 receiving yards, and most of those yards came with Jones throwing to him, so maybe the Cardinals think by signing one of Jones' favorite targets that could help facilitate a trade.
Right now, the Cardinals do not have any real clarity at the quarterback position. They decided to move on from Kyle Murray and then signed Gardner Minshew. While Minshew has been a serviceable quarterback at times in his career, it would be foolhardy to believe he is a long-term solution behind center.
Maybe new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur, who was with the 49ers as an assistant coach for several years under Kyle Shanahan, is betting that he can lure Jones away from the Niners.
It would be a bold, but not impossible, bet. The Niners have maintained this offseason that they do not plan on trading Jones. Both general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have said they would be surprised if he was not on the roster again next season.
But what if the Cardinals made an offer San Francisco can't refuse?
What if Arizona offered a second-round pick and an additional pick, maybe a fifth-, sixth-, or seventh-round selection in exchange for Jones?
The Niners have seven picks in the first four rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, but nothing in rounds five through seven. While Jones showed how valuable he is to San Francisco last season, there are so many other holes to address on the roster.
It would take a lot for the 49ers to let Jones go to an NFC West rival, but maybe they could rationalize it by thinking that the Cardinals are so bad this year that they will not be a major threat, and Jones would probably go somewhere else in free agency following the season. So it's not as if he'd necessarily be burning them twice a season for years.
It's risky, but with a guy like Kirk Cousins currently available, maybe the Niners would be willing to part ways with Jones if it meant improving the team in other ways.