San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones has heard the noise surrounding trade possibilities this offseason. The 2021 first-round pick says he’s motivated to have a chance to start next season for a different team if that opportunity presents itself.
Jones is heading into the second season of his two-year deal with the 49ers, a contract that gives the franchise some leverage in discussions with others. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said last month that he expects Jones back with the team.
Jones is content with whatever the 49ers decide.
“If you’re a quarterback that’s a free agent or could get traded or whatever your situation is, you want to go somewhere that fits and makes sense,” Jones told NFL Network this week. “At the end of the day, that’s what I want in San Francisco. We’ll see what happens. It’s good to be talked about.
“It’s definitely motivating for me. I feel I can do that. I have my swag back, and I feel like that’s important for me. I can go out there and win games for whoever.”
Jones kept the 49ers afloat this season in the NFC West before Brock Purdy’s return from injury in mid-November. Jones went 5-3 over eight starts with 2,151 yards passing, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.
He would enter the 2026 season as the second-team option behind Purdy.
“Honestly, it’s a business. You know how this goes,” Jones said. “I’ve proven I can be a starter. I’ve proven I can be a starter in multiple different spots. I have 50-plus starts or whatever. I know how to do it, but it’s also a business. I understand both sides of it.”
Jones’ situation is often compared to Sam Darnold, who signed with the Seattle Seahawks last offseason when the Minnesota Vikings moved to former first-rounder J.J. McCarthy.
Darnold made the most of his opportunity to start for a franchise that believed in his value despite consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. As one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks this season, Darnold is one win away from his first championship in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
“I get asked that a lot (about Darnold). Everyone’s journey is so different,” Jones said. “I feel like I’ve watched him in interviews, and he does say that learning from Kyle and Brock really changed his career. I see why now. I’ve learned so much this year.
“I know Sam probably felt the same way (in his one year in San Francisco). You can see it on the tape, there’s a lot of crossover.”
A first-round pick out of Alabama in the 2021 NFL Draft, Jones spent his first three seasons with the New England Patriots before playing in 10 games with the Jaguars in 2024.
