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The San Francisco 49ers have arguably one of the best QB2s in the league with Mac Jones backing up Brock Purdy. Jones showed last season that he can come in and keep the ship afloat while also playing well.

Last season, Jones played 545 total snaps for the Niners, allowing him to earn a 77.1 overall PFF grade. Additionally, he threw for 2,151 yards and 13 touchdowns, while recording six interceptions. Moreover, Jones registered eight big-time throws and 10 turnover-worthy plays.

Despite this production, teams across the league didn’t do everything they could to trade for him this offseason. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see if any team comes calling the Niners for a potential trade leading up to the deadline this year.

Injuries to a team’s QB situation could lead them to call the 49ers over Jones. As a result, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton noted it would take a 2027 second-round pick to secure the former New England Patriots signal-caller.

“Mac Jones is at the top of the backup quarterback trade market,” Moton wrote in a May 30 article. “At 27, he’s in his prime at the position and had a strong showing this past season as a fill-in for Brock Purdy…

“Nonetheless, Jones has shown flashes of his ability to be a starter at all three of his career stops, going back to his 2021 rookie Pro Bowl season with the New England Patriots. In five campaigns, he’s thrown for 67 touchdowns and 50 interceptions with a 66.5 percent completion rate…

“Because of Purdy’s injury history, the 49ers should command premium draft capital for Jones in trade talks.”

49ers Made Mac Jones Decision Before the 2026 Season

Multiple reports on May 27 revealed that Jones and the 49ers agreed to revise the quarterback’s contract for the 2026 NFL season. The updated deal includes a $300,000 roster bonus for Purdy’s backup.

With the revision, Jones is set to earn $3.55 million in total compensation during the final year of his contract with the 49ers. He can also earn up to an additional $2.25 million through incentives.

Mac Jones Could Stay With the Niners Past This Season

Still, the contract adjustment appears to be a sign that San Francisco values Jones and could be positioning itself to keep him beyond the 2026 season.

Despite offseason trade speculation, the 49ers ultimately kept Jones on the roster. In a May 27 video on his YouTube channel, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco explained why teams were unwilling to part with a Day 2 draft pick for the former first-round quarterback.

“In talking to people around the league, the reason I think there wasn’t the trade market a lot of people expected for Mac Jones this offseason is because there’s a belief he was successful because of being in Kyle Shanahan’s system and because of Kyle Shanahan’s play-calling and everything else,” Maiocco said.

If there’s no market for Jones, it will be interesting to see what gives San Francisco the upper hand to keep the player past this upcoming season. Jones has worked well with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, and he might be open to staying.