The San Francisco 49ers are still firmly in the mix for a playoff spot, getting the chance to clinch a berth this weekend with a win over the Indianapolis Colts.
But, that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead and project to the 2026 offseason, which will almost assuredly be a game-changer for the 49ers. After being more reserved last offseason and saving cash, the 49ers should have the capital to make some moves, both in the draft and in free agency, as they look to make a push in 2026.
One of those potential moves could be a trade sending out a player. Backup quarterback Mac Jones has significantly boosted his value with a strong stretch of games to start the season when Brock Purdy was injured, throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions across eight starts.
Jones had both the highest completion percentage (69.6 percent) and yards per attempt (7.4) of his career during that stretch, while taking care of the football enough to keep the 49ers offense churning and even causing some quarterback controversy for a short period of time.
Now, it’s clear that Brock Purdy is the 49ers quarterback, and the team could look to capitalize on Jones’s value in the offseason, as he’ll be on a one-year deal and could be shipped to a quarterback-needy team.
“Mac Jones is under contract with the 49ers for next year at $2.8 million, but the way he played in relief of Brock Purdy this season has people wondering what it would take to trade for him (and presumably pay him more) to come in and compete for a starting role,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote. “There are plenty of teams with unsettled 2026 quarterback situations (Colts? Steelers?) that could look to a 27-year-old former first-round pick who has been through the Kyle Shanahan career rehab program as part of their potential solution.”
The 49ers did make an interesting move on Tuesday, bringing back Adrian Martinez to the practice squad. That means San Francisco currently has four quarterbacks on their roster: Purdy, Jones, rookie Kurtis Rourke, and Martinez.
This could be a trial period for the rest of the quarterback room, as the 49ers may have their three signal-callers going forward if Jones is traded. If one doesn’t pan out as much during practice, then San Francisco can identify targets in free agency and go after another low-cost backup option as they did with Jones this past offseason.
With Sam Darnold and now Mac Jones boosting their stock in San Francisco, the 49ers are now seen as a quarterback-friendly job that probably gets some playing time, given the injuries the team has faced at the position (Hell, even Jones has dealt with knee, ankle, and oblique issues this year).
Sticking with Rourke and Martinez as the other two options at quarterback would be the cheapest choice behind Purdy, who got paid significant money this year. With the trade buzz around Jones, perhaps that’s the direction San Francisco goes in 2026.
About the Author: Insidethe49
