San Francisco 49ers’ Mac Jones Trade Rumors Are Heating Up

Entering the 2026 NFL offseason, the San Francisco 49ers held one of the top potential trade chips in football. After an impressive tenure filling in for Brock Purdy, quarterback Mac Jones was expected to be a potential target for teams needing help at the position.

To this point in the offseason, no serious rumors have come up regarding Jones. The 49ers seem to be more than fine with the idea of keeping Jones for the 2026 season.

While the rumors have been quiet, they are starting up once again.

Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton has suggested a new potential trade that would send Jones out of town. In this idea, San Francisco would be shipping Jones to the Pittsburgh Steelers as a replacement for Aaron Rodgers.

“Even if Aaron Rodgers returns to Pittsburgh, the Steelers can sign Jones to an extension before 2027, giving them a long-term quarterback plan,” Moton wrote.

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What Would Mac Jones Bring to the Pittsburgh Steelers?

During the 2025 NFL season, Jones played in 11 games. He completed 69.6 percent of his pass attempts for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Those numbers kept the 49ers afloat without their franchise quarterback. Jones was able to show glimpses of the franchise quarterback talent that he entered the NFL with back in the 2021 NFL Draft as the No. 15 overall pick by the New England Patriots.

Rodgers could choose to return for one more year. However, if the Steelers pulled off a trade with San Francisco for Jones, he would become the face of the future.

Jones has the talent to be a franchise quarterback. If he can continue playing how he did in 2025 with the 49ers, the sky is the limit for him with a new team.

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The 49ers Would Be Wise to Keep Mac Jones for 2026

Even though a trade to Pittsburgh would make a ton of sense, San Francisco should strongly consider keeping him around for next season.

Purdy has had issues staying healthy throughout his young career. If he were to go down again in 2026, the 49ers would desperately need a quality backup. Jones has already proven he can be that guy for the franchise.

Trading him for some value right now would be tempting. Jones could net San Francisco more valuable draft capital. That being said, having an elite backup is also extremely important for a team hopeful of making a Super Bowl run.

Expect to hear more speculation about Jones’ future in the coming days and weeks. The 49ers do not need to move him, but if an offer comes up that makes sense, perhaps they could consider the option.

Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey