With the Nov. 10 trade deadline creeping closer, the Patriots keep showing up in the rumor mill as a team that could buy or sell depending on how the next few weeks go. For now, though, one name has fans in San Francisco buzzing: Marcus Jones.
It makes sense why the 49ers would be looking his way. Jones is only 5-foot-8, but he’s been much more than a small corner trying to survive on the outside.
Since New England drafted him in the third round in 2022, he’s carved out value everywhere the Patriots can use him. He’s been a steady piece in the secondary, a real weapon as a punt returner, and even someone who can chip in on offense.
That kind of versatility is exactly the sort of thing a team dealing with injuries tends to chase. Nick San Miguel of Niner Noise argued Jones would fill multiple holes for San Francisco, especially on defense and special teams, even if he looks close to untouchable right now.
The problem for the 49ers is that Jones probably isn’t sitting there waiting to be moved. San Miguel pointed to the Patriots’ injury-hit secondary and said the only path to a deal might be a rough stretch that changes New England’s thinking.
“The only way the Patriots might even entertain trading him is if they go on a bad losing streak the next few weeks and look totally inept. and then the Niners would probably have to give them an insane package to land him and may even have to throw in a young player just for good measure.”
That’s the key here: if the Patriots ever did make Jones available, they’d have every reason to drive the price up. No one has reported that New England is shopping him, and the idea of landing him would almost certainly require an overpay.
Jones’ value is easy to see. He already has an interception and a sack this season, and last year he posted three picks and a pick-six.
He’s also been dangerous as a return man. This season, he has 11 returns for 117 yards, but in 2025 he averaged more than 17 yards per return and brought back two punts for touchdowns, including a long of 94 yards.
San Miguel floated a package that would include cornerback Renardo Green, wide receiver Jacob Cowing, and a third-round pick. On paper, that’s the kind of offer that could at least get New England’s attention.
Green would be the centerpiece of that return. The 2024 second-round pick has already put together a strong start, with 26 combined tackles, five passes defended, and three interceptions returned for two yards.
He’s missed only three games in his career and has the kind of age and upside that could appeal to the Patriots, especially under Mike Vrabel. He also stands 6 feet tall, which gives him a size advantage over Jones.
There’s a catch, though: Green has mostly played outside for the 49ers, which could make him less appealing unless New England is truly open to moving Carlton Davis, as Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has suggested recently. If Davis were on the block, Green would make more sense as part of a return.
Cowing would help too, since he mainly works on special teams and could help replace what Jones brings there. Add in a third-round pick, and the deal starts to look like the kind of offer that would force New England to think hard.
Even so, moving Jones would be a big loss for the Patriots. They know what he gives them, and he hasn’t done anything to push his way out of the picture. New England might consider it only if the goal becomes stockpiling more draft capital, and even then it would have to be the right kind of offer.
For now, the idea is more dream than reality. But it’s easy to see why 49ers fans are talking themselves into it.
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