The San Francisco 49ers signed quarterback Brock Purdy to a massive contract extension during the offseason, expressing their belief in him as their franchise player. They also signed Mac Jones to a two-year deal in free agency.
Thanks to a couple of different injuries (shoulder and toe) that have kept Purdy sidelined for most of the 2025 campaign, Jones has had the opportunity to flash his skills and has been impressive, throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 69.6 percent of his passes and posting a 97.4 passer rating over eight starts.
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Not surprisingly, trade speculation has surged around Jones, as the chances of him supplanting Purdy as the 49ers’ long-term answer under center seem very slim. Especially given the money San Francisco just handed the latter.
However, Mike Sando of The Athletic has revealed that the Niners probably won’t be moving Jones this coming offseason.
“Jones is in a strange spot as a high-producing backup under contract through next season. The 49ers need him because Purdy has injury concerns. That makes a trade unlikely,” Sando wrote. “Acquiring teams might also question whether they could get the production from Jones that 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is getting from him.”
Jones was originally selected by the New England Patriots with the 15th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft and made the Pro Bowl during his rookie campaign, so it’s not like he hasn’t demonstrated strong potential before.
However, his last couple of seasons with the Patriots were a disaster, and it’s not like he performed all that well when given the opportunity with the Jacksonville Jaguars last year.
Still, Jones is just 27 years old, so it’s possible he is a late bloomer like another former San Francisco quarterback: Sam Darnold.
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But with Purdy suddenly being stunted by injuries since last year, the Niners may feel there is more value in keeping Jones than trading him, especially with the weapons the 49ers have on the offensive side of the ball.
San Francisco is 6-4 this season and will face the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. We’ll see if Purdy is back in the lineup.
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