The NFL trade deadline is coming up in a few weeks, but teams have to be thinking of ways to improve their roster. The San Francisco 49ers have a great trade chip in quarterback Mac Jones, and they could strike a deal with the Tennessee Titans that could help out both teams.
The Titans are one of the worst teams in the NFL. They have a record of 1-4, and their one win against the Arizona Cardinals came by way of some very lucky breaks as the Cardinals shot themselves in the foot. This is to be expected as Tennessee is trying to rebuild around rookie quarterback Cam Ward, who was selected with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ward has struggled thus far, completing just over half of his pass attempts for 879 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Growing pains are to be expected, but there must be some worry among the Titans that they made a big error in taking Ward.
That is why they may decide it's in their best interest to hedge on Ward, which could lead them to Jones.
Jones has been excellent with the Niners, winning all three of his starts and throwing for 905 yards while completing 66.7 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and one interception. He has trulyboosted his trade value, and the Titans could be a team that views him as a potential long-term alternative to Ward if he does not pan out. Jones is just age 27, so he’s still young enough to build around if he has a mid-career renaissance.
The Niners would obviously need something good out of this deal in exchange for Jones. That is where defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons comes into play. San Francisco Standard reporter David Lombardi identified him as a potential trade candidate.
Simmons has made the Pro Bowl three times in his career and has established himself as a force on Tennessee’s interior D-line. He had five sacks last season and already has 3.5 sacks in 2025, but he has proven to be very solid both as a pass-rusher and in the run game.
San Francisco losing Nick Bosa for the rest of the season stings a lot, and the natural response is to want the Niners to replace him with another edge rusher via trade. That is a viable path, but maybe the better way to replace him is to get a good interior lineman like Simmons to take some of the pressure off Bryce Huff and Mykel Williams on the edge.
Kalia Davis is injured, C.J. West and Alfred Collins are both figuring things out as rookies, and Jordan Elliot is serviceable but not elite. Adding Simmons to the defensive tackle group instantly elevates San Francisco’s line and makes the defense more formidable as a whole.
The Titans get to hedge on Ward, and the Niners would get a proven pass-rusher in return. Maybe San Francisco would have to throw in a late-round pick to sweeten the deal, but to land someone like Simmons, it may be worth it to improve a pass rush that has struggled in Bosa’s absence.