The Giants’ quarterback search may have shut one door for the 49ers, but it also gave San Francisco a useful measuring stick.
After New York lost Jaxson Dart for the season with a Week 2 knee injury, the need at quarterback was obvious. James Winston can still entertain, but the Giants clearly needed more than a microphone-friendly presence.
San Francisco, with Mac Jones backing up Brock Purdy, looked like a natural trade partner. Then Minnesota sent J.J.
McCarthy to New York, and that path appears to be gone.
Even so, the McCarthy deal may end up helping the 49ers figure out what Jones could bring back if they decide to move him later in the season. The Vikings received a 2027 fifth-round pick from the Giants, which gives San Francisco a rough baseline for the kind of return a quarterback-needy team might offer for a second-string passer.
That doesn’t mean the market is closed. The Giants may no longer be in the mix, but other teams are already dealing with quarterback injuries.
The Commanders, Bucs, and Bears are all without their signal caller for the next few weeks, and more injuries are likely to follow. If a team gets desperate enough, the 49ers need to be ready.
The question is whether it makes sense to deal away Jones at all. San Francisco has to weigh draft capital against the value of keeping its insurance policy under center.
The team is 3-0 and leading the NFC West, which puts it squarely in win-now territory. If the Niners are going to part with Jones, they’d need something that helps right away - ideally a veteran wide receiver or defensive lineman.
That caution comes with history. San Francisco has already been burned by thin quarterback depth, and Jones showed last season that he can step in and keep things moving. Trading him now would only make life more complicated if Purdy were to get hurt later.
For now, the McCarthy move doesn’t create a clean Jones market. But it does tell the 49ers what the floor might look like: a risky trade, maybe, but one that could still bring back draft value if the right team comes calling.
In Other News...
Fred Warner May Have Created A Rivalry Problem For The 49ers
Fred Warners postgame comments after the 49ers close win over the Arizona Cardinals added a little edge to a division race that already has plenty of it. The veteran linebacker said the earlier meetings were not true NFL ball because starters were sitting out in the fourth quarter, a remark that was really about the competitive feel of those games rather than a direct shot at anyone in particular.
Even so, the line has a way of landing differently when a division rival is involved, especially with the Los Angeles Rams dealing with their own adversity this season. If the Rams take it as a slight, Warner may have given them a little extra fuel, and the 49ers will find out soon enough whether a passing comment turns into something bigger on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Tyreek Hill Is Back On The Radar For Banged-Up 49ers
Tyreek Hill is back in the conversation after posting on social media that he is close to returning to work, a notable update for a receiver still working back from a severe knee injury. Around the league, that kind of message tends to spark instant speculation, and it lands especially hard for the 49ers, who have been hit by a string of wide receiver injuries this season.
San Franciscos need at the position has only grown with the recent rib injury to Mike Evans adding to the teams already banged-up receiving group. Hill has naturally become a name to watch, but for now the interest remains just that, with no official contact or deal reported as the 49ers and other teams monitor his recovery. [Read more 🡒]
Brock Purdy's Hot Start Is About To Face A Different Test
Brock Purdys early-season surge has drawn plenty of notice around the league, with Dan Orlovsky and Pat McAfee both publicly praising the 49ers quarterback and putting him in the early MVP conversation. The numbers have backed up the buzz, as Purdy has been near the top of the league in completion rate, touchdowns and touchdown-to-interception ratio while guiding San Francisco through a fast start.
The next step in evaluating just how real this run is may come this week, when the 49ers face the Broncos. Some of Purdys early opponents have not exactly presented elite defenses, so Denver offers a different kind of measuring stick for San Franciscos offense and its quarterback, who will be asked to keep the same rhythm against a sturdier test. [Read more 🡒]