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The San Francisco 49ers are keeping quarterback Mac Jones around for 2026. Despite being the subject of trade rumors, Jones will remain as Brock Purdy’s backup next season, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday.
Jones has emerged as a potential target for quarterback-needy teams this offseason. But the 49ers aren’t looking to move him – he’s still under contract for another year with a cap hit of just $3.07 million.
Kyle Shanahan addressed the situation at his end-of-season press conference, essentially confirming what sources are now saying.
“As any player on our team, including myself and [general manager] John [Lynch], you always listen to people and trade offers,” Shanahan said on Jan. 21. “But we’re also not into getting rid of good players. So I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.”
The decision makes perfect sense when you look at Jones’ performance this past season.
After three rough years split between New England and Jacksonville – where his QBRs hovered in the high 30s – Jones found new life in San Francisco. Starting eight games while Purdy recovered from a toe injury, Jones posted a 62.9 QBR (ninth-best in the NFL) and threw for 13 touchdowns against just six interceptions.
He averaged 268.9 passing yards per start.
The Niners went 5-3 with Jones under center, keeping their playoff hopes alive until Purdy could return from his Week 1 right big toe injury. It was a dramatic turnaround for a quarterback many had written off after his struggles with the Patriots and Jaguars.
Jones didn’t hide his feelings about the revival of his career in San Francisco, telling ESPN in December that he had rediscovered his joy for the game, calling the experience “awesome.”
“It was just so fun to get, as I say, the train back on the tracks and that’s what I wanted to do,” Jones said on Jan. 19. “[I] put a lot of good film out there. In a way, I had two seasons in one. I had a season as a starter kind of and a season as a backup. So it was really good for me. Had a lot of fun and excited for what’s next.”
For San Francisco, quarterback depth isn’t just a luxury – it’s a necessity. Purdy has missed time in two of his three seasons as the starter. He tore his UCL in the 2022 NFC Championship Game, missed two games with shoulder and elbow issues in 2024, and then sat out eight games in 2025 with that toe problem.
The 49ers learned their lesson about backup quarterback importance the hard way. After struggling when Purdy went down in 2024, they finally got the insurance policy they needed in Jones.
Lynch didn’t mince words about Jones’ impact on the team.
“Mac made this place better,” the GM said. “He was outstanding this season. He picked us up in a huge way and it was a really fun process to watch him come in and the joy that he was playing with. He’s got an infectious attitude that affects everybody on our team. It affected that quarterback room. … Like Kyle said, you always listen, but I know we’re a better football team with Mac Jones on our roster.”
Jones, meanwhile, is preparing for whatever comes next – whether that’s another year holding a clipboard in San Francisco or potentially getting another shot elsewhere. He made his personal ambitions clear before heading into the offseason.
“I do believe I’m a starter in this league and I’m excited for continuing to get better this offseason and see what happens,” Jones said.
