The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are staring at an 0-4 start, and the timing could hardly be worse. After extending Baker Mayfield before the season, Tampa Bay entered the year with real optimism. Instead, it’s heading into Week 5 without a win, and Mayfield’s injury now threatens to keep him out for several weeks.
That’s why the quarterback market is already coming into focus. In a Tuesday Bleacher Report feature, Alex Kay floated a trade idea that would send Mac Jones from the San Francisco 49ers to Tampa Bay, with the Niners landing a conditional 2027 third-round draft pick.
"When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers issued a blockbuster contract extension to Baker Mayfield right before the 2026 NFL season kicked off," he says in the piece, "they probably didn't expect an undrafted rookie to be their starting quarterback with the season on the line in Week 4."
For now, Jalon Daniels is handling the job, and Kay doesn’t suggest he’s been a disaster. The issue is that he’s being asked to do more than he’s ready for at this stage.
That’s where Jones comes in. Kay describes him as an upgrade for the current moment, even if he doesn’t see him as a future answer in Tampa.
"Jones would be costly and doesn't profile as a long-term option in Tampa due to his expiring contract and expected suitors this offseason, but shipping over a conditional pick (one that scales based on how the Bucs finish the season) for a vastly improved chance at making the playoffs could be worth the price of admission," he says.
The Buccaneers need a move if they want any shot at salvaging the season, and this is at least a plausible one.
In Other News...
49ers Got The Kyle Juszczyk Injury News They Desperately Needed
Kyle Juszczyks knee injury looked far worse in the moment, but the 49ers avoided the kind of outcome that can reshape a season. The Pro Bowl fullback was hurt against the Broncos and later learned the MRI showed no ligament damage, easing fears around a play that had plenty of people bracing for a longer absence.
Juszczyk is still expected to miss two to three weeks after suffering a hyperextended knee, capsule sprain and minor bone bruise, which likely rules him out for the Seahawks game. Even so, the door is open for a return before the end of October, a useful bit of news for a San Francisco offense that leans on his versatility and physical presence in the run game and around the goal line. [Read more 🡒]
John Lynch Could Have One More Aggressive Move In Mind
The 49ers have been surviving the kind of stretch that tends to test a rosters depth as much as its talent, stacking wins even while dealing with injuries that have complicated the week-to-week picture. That kind of success can make a front office hesitate, but it can also sharpen the sense that the current group is close enough to justify a little more help before the season gets much deeper.
With the November 10 trade deadline looming, John Lynch could still have one aggressive move left to make if he decides the run should be supported rather than merely managed. The names tied to that conversation point in a few different directions, from defensive tackle Daron Payne to wide receiver Quentin Johnston to edge rushers Za'Darius Smith and Khalil Mack, which says plenty about the range of ways San Francisco could try to bolster itself without waiting for the market to come to it. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Injury Report Brings Early Concern And One Intriguing Possibility
The first Week 5 practice brought an early dose of concern for San Francisco, with five players sitting out as the 49ers started preparing for Seattle. Nick Bosa, James Thompson, Kyle Juszczyk, Marques Sigle, and Upton Stout were all absent, while Mykel Williams, Mike Evans and Kaelon Black took part on a limited basis as the team tried to sort through an injury list that already had some familiar names on it.
Williams is the most intriguing piece of the group, since a return to the field could be on the table after he worked his way back from injury. Coach Kyle Shanahan also said Stout is day-to-day with a shoulder issue, which at least gives the 49ers some reason to keep a close eye on the week rather than assume the early absences will define it. [Read more 🡒]