49ers Shut Down Jets’ Hopes of Landing Mac Jones, Opt to Keep Him as Purdy’s Backup
As the New York Jets continue their search for a quarterback who can bring stability-and ideally, some spark-to Frank Reich’s offense, one name that had quietly gained traction among fans was Mac Jones. After a rocky start to his NFL career, Jones found a bit of redemption last season in San Francisco, showing enough poise and production to make some in New York wonder if he might be worth a look.
But Jets fans dreaming of seeing Jones in green and white might want to hit pause.
Just hours before Super Bowl LX kicks off between the Patriots and Seahawks, the 49ers made it clear: Mac Jones isn’t going anywhere. San Francisco has no intention of trading the former first-rounder and plans to keep him as Brock Purdy’s backup heading into the 2026 season.
That’s a tough break for a Jets team already facing a shallow pool of quarterback options. With Justin Fields no longer in the picture, the front office is staring down a free-agent market that’s light on long-term answers and heavy on question marks.
The hope was that Jones, fresh off a bounce-back campaign, might be a low-risk, high-upside option. But with the 49ers pulling him off the table, that door appears closed.
Jones’ Stock Is Up-Thanks to Shanahan’s System
Let’s be clear: Mac Jones wasn’t lighting up the league last season, but he was efficient-and in today’s NFL, that counts for something. He completed just under 70% of his passes, threw 13 touchdowns to only six interceptions, and helped the 49ers to a 5-3 record in his starts. That included some key divisional wins that helped solidify San Francisco’s playoff positioning.
It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective. And for a quarterback whose career had been teetering after three turbulent seasons in New England, it was a much-needed reset.
The Jones resurgence fits a pattern we’ve seen before. Just ask Sam Darnold, who went from castoff to Super Bowl quarterback under the guidance of Kyle Shanahan and Kevin O’Connell. The Shanahan system has become a kind of quarterback rehab clinic-precise, quarterback-friendly, and designed to maximize what a passer does well.
So it’s no surprise that teams like the Jets, who are in desperate need of a competent signal-caller, would look at Jones and wonder if lightning might strike twice.
But Outside of Shanahan’s Shadow, Questions Remain
Here’s the catch: Mac Jones has looked like a different quarterback when he’s not operating under the Shanahan umbrella. His time in New England was, frankly, a mess.
Over three seasons, he threw nearly as many interceptions (31) as touchdowns (32), and the offense never found its rhythm. That stretch was rough enough to land the Patriots in position to draft AFC Champion Drake Maye-a move that essentially closed the book on the Jones era in Foxborough.
There’s also a brief stint in Jacksonville to consider, though it didn’t do much to change the narrative. The bottom line? Outside of San Francisco, Jones hasn’t shown he can be a consistent, winning NFL quarterback.
Jets Must Pivot-Again
With Jones off the table, the Jets are back to square one. They’ll need to explore veteran bridge options-players who can steady the ship while the front office evaluates long-term solutions-or take another swing in the 2026 NFL Draft. Either way, the path forward just got a little murkier.
There’s still time, and there are still options. But if the Jets were hoping for a quick fix via trade, that possibility just got a little less likely. Mac Jones is staying in San Francisco, and the Jets are still searching for their next QB answer.