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nick wagner
multiple authors
Santa Clara, California – Despite continued speculation, san francisco 49ers No plans to trade quarterback mac jones this offseason and have every intention of bringing him back brock purdySources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday that it has a backup.
In an ever-uncertain quarterback landscape, Jones has been a potential offseason trade target for teams in need of a starter. But at least for now, the Niners don’t plan to part ways with Jones, who is under contract for one more year at a salary cap hit of $3.07 million.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said as much when asked about dealing Jones at his season-ending press conference, though he also left the door open.
“As any player on our team, including me [general manager] John [Lynch]On January 21, Shanahan said, “You always listen to people and exchange offers.” But we also don’t want to get rid of good players. So I would be very surprised if Mac isn’t around next year.”
The latter posted QBRs of 38.4, 37.5 and 36.6 over the past three seasons. new England Patriots And jacksonville jaguarsJones returned in 2025, starting eight games for the 49ers.
Jones posted a 62.9 QBR (ninth in the NFL) and threw 13 touchdowns and six interceptions, averaging 268.9 passing yards in those eight starts in place of Purdy. The Niners went 5–3 and remained in the playoff mix with Jones under center until Purdy returned from a right toe injury in Week 1.
In the process, Jones told ESPN in December that he rediscovered his joy for the game in San Francisco after a few difficult years, calling it “amazing”.
Jones said on January 19, “As I say, it was a lot of fun to get the train back on track and that’s what I wanted to do.”[I] Put a lot of good movies there. In a way, I had two seasons at the same time. I had one season as a starter and one season as a backup. So it was really good for me. “It was a lot of fun and I’m excited for what’s next.”
From the Niners’ perspective, quarterback depth has been a particularly significant issue. While Purdy has been successful since taking over as the starter in 2022, he has missed all or at least one game due to injury in every season except 2023.
Purdy tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right (throwing) elbow in the NFC Championship Game at the end of the 2022 season, missed two games in 2024 due to shoulder and elbow injuries, and missed eight contests in 2025 due to a toe problem.
After struggling without Purdy in 2024, the Niners found the kind of reliable quarterback insurance they previously lacked in Jones.
“Mack has made this place better,” Lynch said. “He was outstanding this season. He lifted us up in a big way and watching him come in and see the joy he was playing with was a really fun process. He has an infectious attitude that rubbed off on everybody on our team. It affected that quarterback room. … As Kyle said, you always hear that, but I know we’re a better football team with Mac Jones on our roster.”
For his part, Jones has prepared for any offseason situation, whether that means staying in San Francisco for another season or landing somewhere else. He provided some certainty heading into the offseason.
“I’m confident I’m a starter in this league and I’m excited to continue to improve this offseason and see what happens,” Jones said.
