The 49ers may not have to think long if the phone rings about Mac Jones.
With Jayden Daniels sidelined by an elbow injury and Jaxson Dart out with a knee issue, the quarterback market could start moving fast. That puts San Francisco in a familiar spot: holding a backup who suddenly looks a lot more valuable to other teams than he does on a depth chart.
The Giants, in particular, could come calling. Jameis Winston struggled badly against the Rams on Monday Night Football, and Jones sits at the top of their list if they decide to look elsewhere. If that happens, the 49ers would have a chance to land a strong return, especially from New York.
But the message here is simple: don’t do it.
If another team asks about Jones, San Francisco should shut it down immediately. The 49ers have seen enough through two games to know they can’t afford to move their best insurance policy out the door.
That matters because if Brock Purdy gets hurt, the whole thing changes fast. Last season showed exactly why Jones is so important. He helped keep the 49ers afloat and gave them a shot to stay in the playoff race.
The timing also matters. If the 49ers were ever going to deal Jones, the draft was the window.
Before or during the NFL Draft, they could have turned that value into a player who might have helped this year. Even then, though, moving him never made much sense.
Right now, the better play is obvious. After watching starting quarterbacks go down around the league early this season, the 49ers should treat Jones like the safety net he is.
There’s also the reminder from San Francisco’s own past. In the 2023 NFC Championship Game against the Eagles, Purdy tore his UCL, and the 49ers were left without enough behind him.
With a quarterback like Jones available, that game might have looked very different. At the very least, it could have stayed competitive longer.
So yes, the calls may come. And yes, the 49ers could probably get something tempting. But unless the offer is for a defensive lineman or a receiver, this is not the move.
Trading Jones now would hurt the 49ers more than it would help them.
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Utahs physical start gives the Cyclones a different kind of challenge than the ones they have seen so far, and it has prompted plenty of staff debate about how the game could unfold. The predictions vary, but the common thread is clear enough: Iowa State is stepping into a game where the margin for error will be thin, and the conditions may make every snap matter even more. [Read more 🡒]
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Utah is a fitting first measuring stick. Jimmy Rogers has already pointed to the strength of the Utes defense, which should put immediate pressure on Smith and the rest of Iowa States line to communicate, adjust and hold up against a disciplined opponent. For the Cyclones, it is also part of a bigger picture: a diverse roster coming together under Rogers, with the opener offering an early glimpse at how far that process has come. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Faces Its First Real Big 12 Test In Utah Defense
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Much of the attention will fall on four Utah defenders who have helped set that tone: Nate Ritchie, Jonathan Hall, Lance Holtzclaw and Elijah Davis. Each brings a different piece to the picture, from pressure up front to cleanup work in the secondary, and how Iowa State handles that group will say a lot about whether the Cyclones can make a clean first impression in league play. [Read more 🡒]