After the New York Giants lost Jaxson Dart for the season due to a Week 2 knee injury, it seemed pretty obvious that they would be in the market for a quarterback. For as entertaining as James Winston is when a microphone is in front of him, he is not exactly a top-tier NFL quarterback these days.
The San Francisco 49ers seemed like a logical trade partner, given that Mac Jones plays Brock Purdy's understudy, but that avenue is likely closed now that the Minnesota Vikings dealt J.J. McCarthy to the Giants.
While it’d be all too easy to view this as a dead end in the Jones trade saga, the move actually gives San Francisco a great baseline of what to expect if they do choose to move the second-stringer later this season.
The Vikings got a 2027 fifth-round pick from New York in the deal. That’s not a terrible return, especially since McCarthy has been oft-injured and has given the NFL some laughable moments since entering the NFL following a solid collegiate career at Michigan.
Giants are hardly the last QB-needy team 49ers can call
While New York is likely no longer in need of a quarterback, there are already other teams that have lost their quarterbacks to injury. The Commanders, Bucs, and Bears are all without their signal caller for the next few weeks, and they won't be the last teams to suffer such a fate. The 49ers have to be ready to pounce, especially if an opportunity becomes too good to say no to.
The Niners must decide whether giving up their insurance policy under center is worth acquiring draft capital. Obviously every team is thinking about its future, but San Francisco is in win-now mode. The Niners are 3-0 and currently lead the NFC West. They are in a position to try to win the division, so unless they are getting a player who can make an immediate impact this season (ideally a veteran wide receiver or defensive lineman), it may not be worth dealing Jones.
San Francisco has been burned by a lack of quarterback depth before, and Jones proved last season he can step in and keep the team afloat. It would be the ultimate egg-on-face moment if they traded Jones away only for Purdy to get hurt later on.
Still, this McCarthy trade at least gives them an idea of what to expect in a trade. Trading Jones for draft capital seems quite risky, but maybe that’s all the Niners can expect unless the stars align.
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