The 49ers spent part of the trade deadline doing what smart teams always do: checking the market, setting a price, and making sure nobody got a bargain.
That was especially true with backup quarterback Mac Jones. When the Vikings reached out to San Francisco as they explored quarterback options, sources told ESPN that general manager John Lynch made the cost crystal clear: it would take a second-round pick and more to land Jones.
A second-rounder plus a middle-round pick might have been enough to get something moving, but Minnesota wasn’t going there. The talks stopped, and Jones stayed put.
San Francisco’s stance wasn’t new. The teams had already discussed Jones in trade conversations before, and the 49ers had again put a steep price tag on him. Kyle Shanahan sees Jones as a franchise-caliber quarterback and would only move him if the return was impossible to turn down.
That belief has some backing. Jones stepped in for the injured Brock Purdy last year and won four of his first five starts, even while dealing with injuries himself. He finished the season 5-3 with a 97.4 QB rating.
There’s also the contract angle. Jones is in the final year of his two-year, $8.41 million deal and will be a free agent after the season. The 49ers likely believe he can land a strong enough contract this offseason to bring back at least a third-round compensatory pick.
From San Francisco’s perspective, that makes the math simple: if a team is going to pry away a quarterback they value, it has to pay up. And if that team happens to be a possible playoff opponent, even better.
The 49ers also had their eye on another target from Philadelphia: tight end Dallas Goedert.
Several teams checked in on Goedert, including San Francisco, but the Eagles never came close to moving him. The 31-year-old remains in Philadelphia and could even re-sign with the Eagles for 2027.
Goedert’s usage helps explain why he drew interest. He has lined up inline 48.7% of the time this season and in the slot 38.1% of the time.
The 49ers, meanwhile, were clearly looking for another big-bodied pass catcher to pair with George Kittle. Luke Farrell has only six targets this season, while Goedert had six targets in Week 9.
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Kyle Shanahan said the team is moving ahead with a normal walk-through while waiting on more information from the FAA, which is about as much control as anyone has right now. For a road team trying to stay on schedule before a big NFC test, the timing is less than ideal, and the next update could determine whether the 49ers usual pregame routine gets thrown off before they even reach Dallas. [Read more 🡒]
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49ers Are Taking A Cautious Approach With Mike Evans
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For San Francisco, the approach is about the long view as much as the next game. The 49ers are 1-1 without Evans and will try to keep that momentum going against Dallas, but his absence still leaves a notable hole in the offense until he is ready to return without added risk. [Read more 🡒]