Former New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones should be a major trade target for many teams this offseason.
The 49ers signed Jones to a two-year, $8.41 million contract last offseason, and he performed well, throwing for 2,151 yards and 13 touchdowns while appearing in 11 games, starting eight of them.
San Francisco might send Jones to a team where he could take the starting role next season. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell predicted that the Vikings could make a trade for Jones.
Barnwell has the 49ers trading Jones and a 2027 third-round pick for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 fifth-round pick (conditional) and a 2028 third-round pick (conditional).
“In this deal, the 49ers get a second-rounder for a future third-rounder. There are also two conditional picks, which should help protect them if Jones blossoms in Minnesota,” Barnwell wrote on Monday. “The 2027 conditional pick would trigger based on Jones’ playing time with the Vikings. If he starts four games in 2026, the Vikings send a fifth-round pick out west. If Jones starts 12 games, that gets upped to a third-rounder. And then, if Jones re-signs with the Vikings after the 2026 season and starts at least one game for the Vikings in 2027, the 49ers would land another third-round pick.”
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The Vikings have J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback, but he is entering his third NFL season and was a major reason Minnesota missed the playoffs. The team needs to find competition for McCarthy, and Jones could be the best option available.
