The San Francisco 49ers have been consistent this offseason in saying that they want Mac Jones back in 2026. A month ago, Kyle Shanahan said he’d be “very surprised” if Jones weren’t on the team this upcoming season.
Every time either Shanahan or John Lynch speaks on the subject, it feels like the team is trying to drive up Jones’ value, which is smart. Lynch’s words at the NFL Combine on Tuesday had a similar feeling:
“He’s really good for us and we value that. And so somebody would have to come with something fairly strong for us to consider (trading him). And then I don’t know what we 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.”
Jones said he believes he’s a starter in this league. Judging by his performance in 2026, it’s difficult to disagree with him. That’s not happening in the Bay Area, barring another injury to Brock Purdy. So, for Jones to get his wish, he would need to play for another team.
Based on the quote above, Lynch didn’t take a hard stance and come off like any trade talks involving Jones would be shut down. That’s Lynch telling any quarterback-needy team that if you are interested in his quarterback, don’t call, thinking that you’re going to get a bargain.
The bargain is that Jones has a cap number of $3 million in 2026. That would allow any team to be aggressive in free agency, knowing they have a quarterback who ranks 46th in his position.
The question is what Lynch and the 49ers consider “fairly strong.” It reads like, “We’d love a first-rounder, but understand that’s unrealistic and would settle for a second.” Maybe even a third and a couple of other picks that dress up the trade to look like a second-rounder.
The 2026 NFL Draft doesn’t have the top-end talent like some other drafts, but the Niners should be able to find plenty of value on Day 2, making a trade for Jones enticing if they can receive a pick or two, so they could flip it into a starter who could help them next season.
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