4 reasons why 49ers will trade away Mac Jones this offseason

The San Francisco 49ers are entering the 2026 NFL offseason with two major needs at pass rusher and wide receiver. But the 49ers' offseason is going to be a whole lot more complicated than adding to those two position rooms.

For the 49ers this offseason, the future of Mac Jones will be a very tricky question to figure out. The team wants to keep him, but there are going to be QB-needy teams, and the 49ers could land a very strong return in a trade for Jones this offseason.

If the 49ers get an offer hard to refuse, Jones could be on the move. And as The Athletic's Matt Barrows highlighted, there are four reasons why they could receive such an offer this offseason from a desperate team.

4 reasons why 49ers will end up trading Mac Jones

1. Jones is more than just a starting QB

"The first is that Jones didn't just look like a starter in 2025 but someone who could lead an imperfect team, which is what any potential suitor would be," Barrows writes.

Jones got into the 49ers lineup once Brock Purdy went down, and along with Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, and George Kittle missed time during his starts.

Jones beat the Los Angeles Rams in overtime on Thursday night football without all of those players, plus Brandon Aiyuk, and while dealing with a PCL injury of his own.

2. Sam Darnold just won the Super Bowl

"The second reason to trade for Jones is that the league just watched another Shanahan reclamation project, Sam Darnold, thrive on the national stage," Barrows writes.

Just as Jones has developed since joining the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan, Sam Darnold did the same when he spent a season as their backup.

Darnold left the 49ers after one year, joining the Minnesota Vikings, where he broke out, won 14 games, and made the playoffs. The next season, Darnold won 14 games with the Seattle Seahawks and won the Super Bowl.

Teams will, rightfully, wonder if they can get their own version of Darnold in Mac Jones this offseason.

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3. The 2026 NFL Draft class at QB is very thin

"Third, it's not a great year to draft a quarterback," Barrows writes. "Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is expected to go No. 1 to the Raiders. Who's the next best passer?"

After Fernando Mendoza, there aren't many great quarterbacks in the draft class. Ty Simpson is a big risk and is not really a first-round caliber talent.

A thin QB market in the draft means those draft picks for QB-needy teams are better used on non-QBs, or in a trade for a player like Jones this offseason.

4. The Shanahan offense is rampant in the NFL

"Finally, more teams are running Shanahan's offense or something similar than ever before," Barrows writes.

The NFL has become a league dominated by the Sean McVay and Shanahan offenses. Among QB-needy teams, the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, and Vikings all have some link to the Shanahan offense.

While this final point doesn't account for every team that needs a quarterback, it should help Jones' odds of going to a team with a Shanahan-style offense in the future.

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There are plenty of reasons to convince teams to splurge on Mac Jones

Acquiring Jones won't come cheap, as the 49ers have no real incentive to trade him for scraps this offseason.

Jones might be the best quarterback that could realistically be available this offseason. Spending draft capital, especially for a team that's ready to compete now, makes a lot of sense.

The Vikings are an ideal landing spot for Jones, as he'd be heading to a good environment and get to link up with some incredible offensive options in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

But, with the promise Jones showed in 2025, the ascendance of Darnold, a lackluster QB draft class, and the Shanahan offense well-represented around the NFL, there are plenty of reasons why a team would be willing to splurge on Jones this offseason.

John Lynch and Shanahan might not be planning to move on from Jones this offseason, but with how desperate teams might get for a QB, the 49ers might end up getting an offer that's hard to refuse.

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