Despite openly saying the contrary during their end-of-season press conference, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan would indeed welcome a trade involving their second-string quarterback, Mac Jones, provided the compensation was sufficient.
Pretty much ever since the front-office duo took over in 2017, they've admitted to be willing to make any trade, so long as it was beneficial in the short- and long-term futures.
Jones, who admirably filled in for an injured Brock Purdy over the course of eight starts last season, went 5-3 while completing 69.6 percent of his passes for 13 touchdowns against six interceptions.
By all accounts, the 2021 first-round draft pick of the New England Patriots resurrected what was otherwise a floundering career.
So, with the Niners fully committed to Purdy, Jones is now seen as a tradable asset in light of the fact he's under contract through 2026 on an affordable two-year, $7 million deal.
And there shouldn't be a shortage of teams interested in his services, including the Minnesota Vikings, whom one prominent NFL insider circled as a potential would-be destination for Jones this offseason.
Albert Breer highlights Vikings as possible 49ers trade partner for Mac Jones
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer answered the question in a recent mailbag, and if San Francisco opts to move Jones this offseason, Minnesota seems to be the preferred choice:
"Everybody, Minnesota would be a fun idea. The Vikings will bring in competition for J.J. McCarthy, but may have to do it on a budget. They’ve explored the reclamation project path that worked so well for them with Sam Darnold in 2024. Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray could be ideas, just not on their current contracts. Jones—who, like Darnold, would be coming from San Francisco—would make a good amount of sense."
McCarthy's disappointment in his first full year as a starter set the context for such a move, and some would argue the Vikings have serious seller's remorse after parting ways with their 2024 hero, Darnold, who also resurrected his career in the Bay Area under Shanahan and then helped the Seattle Seahawks reach the Super Bowl after his one-year Minnesota tenure.
Armed with a roster built to win now within an uber-competitive NFC North, Minnesota might not be patient enough to let McCarthy develop on his own timeline, meaning a move for Jones would make sense from that vantage point.
Now, the only question is what it might take for the Vikings to pry Jones away from the 49ers' grasp. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero softly suggested it might cost a second-round pick.
If the Vikings have lost confidence in McCarthy but aren't resigned to a long-term teardown and rebuild, the Jones route makes plenty of sense, and Breer doesn't mind fueling that speculation whatsoever.