49ers trading Mac Jones looks unlikely, though QB-needy NFL teams remain
It appears increasingly safe to say the San Francisco 49ers won’t be saying so long to their super sub.
After backup quarterback Mac Jones was still on the roster Thursday night following the first round of the NFL draft, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked whether the player who has been the subject of offseason trade speculation would still be employed by the team in training camp.
“I’d be really surprised if he’s not,” Shanahan said. “It also really surprised me that no one came and offered something (in a trade) today. The fact that no one did doesn’t make me think someone’s going to do something tomorrow. And his value has probably already passed anyways.”
The 49ers reportedly had set a lofty asking price for Jones, 27, a recently beleaguered 2021 first-round pick whose career was rejuvenated last year after he joined the 49ers on a two-year, $7 million deal with $4.5 million in incentives.
In 2025, Jones helped keep the 49ers afloat during a 12-5 season in which QB Brock Purdy missed eight of the first 10 games with turf toe. Jones went 5-3 in his starts and ranked second in the NFL completion percentage (69.6%) while throwing for 2,151 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions (97.4 passer rating).
Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have indicated throughout the offseason that they’d part with Jones only if they received a substantial offer.
“Somebody would have to come with something fairly strong for us to consider it,” Lynch said at the NFL combine in late February. “And then I don’t know what we’d do. Obviously, there’s always something that would make you do it. But I think we’re a better team with him on it. And we just like having him around. As we saw this year: Your franchise guy goes down, and it’s nice to have someone like that.”
Jones’ market “never heated up,” ESPN reported this week, and the 49ers’ stance presumably played a role in the lack of trade inquiries.
As the 49ers kept Jones, many QB-needy teams addressed their issues this offseason. In March, the Vikings signed Kyler Murray, the Dolphins signed Malik Willis and the Jets traded for Geno Smith. On Thursday, the Raiders took Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the draft.
There remain teams with shaky QB situations: The Browns’ current first-stringer is Shedeur Sanders, the Cardinals are poised to start Jacoby Brissett and the Steelers haven’t heard from Aaron Rodgers, 42, on whether he’ll return for a 22nd NFL season.
The 49ers are likely seeking at least a second-round pick for Jones, and Arizona (No. 34), Cleveland (No. 39) and Pittsburgh (No. 53) all have picks in the second round Friday. However, as Shanahan noted, the lack of at least one exploratory trade call on Thursday suggests a draft trade for Jones isn’t happening.
As a result, it appears the 49ers will retain premium QB insurance in 2026 with Jones, whose career fell off a cliff after he was the runner-up for the 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year award with the Patriots.
Jones was benched multiple times over the next two seasons before New England traded him for a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Jaguars, where he sat behind Trevor Lawrence. When Jones signed with the 49ers, his career passer rating (84.9) ranked 26th among the 28 QBs who had at least 1,000 pass attempts since 2021.
His 2025 reboot with the 49ers came four years after Shanahan strongly considered taking Jones with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft before selecting Trey Lance. After finally landing the QB he should have selected, Shanahan made it clear in January the 49ers weren’t about to give Jones away.
“You always listen to people with trade offers,” Shanahan said. “We’re also not into getting rid of good players, so I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.”
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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 7:07 PM.