For Mac Jones, will the 49ers make a trade?

Mac Jones appears to be available and the 49ers need a backup quarterback. Will he be traded to the 49ers?

Sam Darnold, the 49ers’ backup quarterback right now, will become a free agency next month and will probably sign with a different team. The 49ers will have to find a replacement for him when he does.

Yes, they may sign an ageing veteran like Joe Flacco, who played a great role for the Browns in the previous season following Deshaun Watson’s injury. Or the 49ers might try to unearth the next Brock Purdy by selecting a different quarterback in the draft.

Either strategy would work. However, the 49ers may also enjoy this third option: Exchange for Mac Jones.

Recall that the 49ers were on the verge of selecting Mac Jones with the third choice in the 2021 NFL Draft, but they decided to select Trey Lance instead, who is currently with the Cowboys, at the eleventh hour. Kyle Shanahan stated at the time that he believed Jones and Lance would both end up as starting quarterbacks in the NFL.

Given that Bill Belichick was fired by the Patriots and Jones is not associated with their new head coach, Jones is most likely available at this time. The Patriots don’t seem to think much of him, in fact. He was benched the previous season, and rumours circulated that he couldn’t be coached.