Before Kyler Murray signed with the Minnesota Vikings in March, some fans and media members believed Minnesota could swing a trade for San Francisco 49ers QB2 Mac Jones as the quarterback insurance behind J.J. McCarthy in 2026.
Jones to Minnesota became moot in a hurry when Murray signed on the Vikings’ dotted line, but now, thanks to Bleacher Report, the Jones rumor mill has resurged.
Bleacher Report Says Vikings Could Revisit the Jones Option
BR: Vikings Should Consider Trading for Jones
Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns made the cut on Mo Moton’s list that detailed trade destinations for Jones, and the Vikings were not excluded.
He wrote, “The Minnesota Vikings made a low-risk, high-reward move in signing quarterback Kyler Murray, who’s only under contract for the 2026 season. He’s the favorite to win the starting job over J.J. McCarthy, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.”
“Though even if Murray has a bounce-back year, the Vikings may not keep him around for the long term. Remember, they allowed Sam Darnold to walk after his first Pro Bowl campaign. Minnesota can get ahead of the rising cost of the quarterback market by acquiring Jones and signing him to an extension after the 2026 term if Murray does enough to spike his 2027 market value.”
Jones played marvelously in 2025 when Brock Purdy got hurt.
“Jones will also be a free agent next year, but he won’t be able to demand as much as a starting quarterback with decent passing numbers. The Vikings could make the playoffs with Murray, which would likely push them out of range for a top 2027 quarterback prospect,” Moton continued.
“Instead of earmarking significant cap space for him or hoping for a trade-up in next year’s draft, they can acquire and extend Jones to stabilize their quarterback room.”
Jones’ Career Production
Jones’s career has unfolded in three distinct chapters. His rookie season in New England suggested a very promising future as a long-term starter, as he amassed 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns, even leading the Patriots to the playoffs. But subsequent seasons saw a decline in both his performance and the team’s success. Over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he registered a less impressive 24 touchdowns against 23 interceptions — so, a sophomore slump that didn’t end.
A fresh start arrived in 2024 with the Jacksonville Jaguars after the Patriots moved on, where Jones started 7 games and stabilized his play enough to remain relevant. The true test, however, arrived in San Francisco. In 2025, he started 8 games while Brock Purdy was injured, going 5-3. During that period, Jones completed an impressive 69.6% of his passes, throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Across five seasons, Jones has accumulated 12,741 passing yards, 67 touchdowns, and 50 interceptions. While he may not fulfill the “franchise savior” expectations once held for him, his displayed solid play that emulated Malik Willis last year in Green Bay.
Moton thinks the Vikings are an option for that tale.
Probably a 2027 Free Agency Idea if Vikings’ QBs Fail
Moton’s article outlines teams that should trade for Jones by November’s trade deadline. By then, Minnesota will know the early returns from the Murray experiment or how McCarthy is trending in Year No. 3. Depending on quarterback injuries around the league, San Francisco will likely price-gouge Jones, only selling if it can grab a 2nd- or 3rd-Rounder, for example. He’s one of the best backup passers in the league, and Purdy isn’t necessarily Iron Man. The 49ers won’t sell short.
Meanwhile, Minnesota has a new general manager, Nolan Teasley, who probably isn’t eager to peddle his draft picks before selecting a single rookie. Teasley took over a few weeks ago; Rob Brzezinski steered the ship during April’s draft.
If Murray and McCarthy wholly fail in 2026, Jones is a talker for the Vikings during the 2027 offseason — when he will be “free” in free agency. Why donate a handsome draft pick to San Francisco in November when Minnesota could, theoretically, sign Jones outright in March?
Another Sam Darnold in the Making?
A team will give Jones a shot at the QB1 job before too long. Based on his 2025 production — 8 starts — he’d bank 4,570 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions when scaled to 17 games.
In a league that re-empowered Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield to thrive — the aforementioned Willis may be next in Miami — Jones won’t be excluded from second chances. One could argue that he played just as well as Purdy last season.
It may not be the Vikings, especially via trade in 2026, but Jones’s story is far from over. He could be the go-to guy via trade this season when a QB1 from a Super Bowl contender inevitably gets hurt.
Jones will turn 28 in September.
