Perhaps there will be a trade market for San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones after all.
It didn't seem like this would be the case. Not last offseason when Jones got all but overlooked in the spring and summer's quarterbacking carousel, nor did the Niners' QB2's name pop up in many a discussion in the weeks prior to November's NFL trade deadline.
That said, it's amazing how quickly the landscape can change. And it has.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts' blood clots scare his NFL future, and for now, they've knocked him out for the rest of the season. But Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's recent thumb injury and trip to injured reserve creates something San Francisco absolutely needed to potentially move Jones via a trade: a market.
Now, all of a sudden, is there a possibility Jones gets traded before the deadline?
49ers may look at Ravens as possible Mac Jones suitor after Lamar Jackson injury
Baltimore, like Philly, has its own long-term questions to examine under center. Jackson has one more year left on his current contract, and with the Ravens' No. 2 quarterback going down with injury, Tyler Huntley, it's fair to wonder if they'll explore adding someone like Jones to salvage their season.
At 4-4 in what's turning into a hotly contested AFC North, getting a capable quarterback under center now seems paramount.
Going back to the market, though, the 49ers won't simply give Jones away for a late-round draft pick, particularly when they're aware he'll likely earn them a mid-round compensatory pick if and when he departs via free agency this upcoming offseason.
That's where it'd be preferable if the Niners could get some sort of bidding war for Jones' services, potentially between Baltimore and Philadelphia. Neither of those two East Coast teams have surefire long-term answers at quarterback, and both the Hurts and Jackson injuries cloud their respective futures even more.
Perhaps San Francisco can convince the Ravens to overpay for Jones, especially if it can float what it has in an offer from the Eagles.
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