The San Francisco 49ers are not slamming the door on a Mac Jones trade, but they are making it clear the backup quarterback is not going anywhere cheaply.
General manager John Lynch said as much during an appearance on KNBR while the 49ers were coming out of their Week 8 bye and getting ready to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. The message was simple: San Francisco would need the right kind of offer to even consider moving Jones before the Nov. 10 deadline.
“We’d have to be really motivated to move Mac (Jones), a situation where it makes too much sense. … But we’re very comfortable with keeping Mac.”
That’s about as close as the 49ers got to opening the door. Lynch didn’t label Jones untouchable, but his comments made it plain that the team is not looking to deal him just for the sake of making a move.
The reason is obvious. Jones gave San Francisco real value last season when Brock Purdy was unavailable, appearing in 11 games and making eight starts. He completed 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions, and he finished with a career-best 97.4 passer rating while helping the 49ers go 5-3 in his starts.
That kind of production matters, especially for a team that wants to stay protected behind its starter. Lynch has already framed quarterback as a spot where San Francisco wants to be well insulated, and that thinking has not really shifted with the deadline closing in.
Jones, 28, has barely been used this season. Through seven games, he has not thrown a pass, and his only regular-season action came on two rushing attempts for minus-2 yards against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. Purdy has stayed healthy, which has kept Jones on the sideline.
Still, the trade talk has lingered because Jones has starting experience and because quarterback injuries have been a theme around the league. But Lynch’s latest comments suggest the 49ers would need something significant to give up their most proven backup option.
San Francisco will return to the field against the Raiders on Sunday at 1:25 p.m. PT.
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