We don't know what circles Mike Florio is hearing from, but he claims the Vikings could look to acquire quarterback Mac Jones next offseason.
"There’s already chatter in some circles that, in the 2026 offseason, the Vikings will explore trading for 49ers quarterback Mac Jones," Florio reported on Wednesday.
He added that bringing in a veteran to compete with J.J. McCarthy could make sense, saying McCarthy “hasn’t done enough to have the presumed starter role next season.”
It would be a cutthroat way to do business, but so it goes in the NFL. Especially on a team like the Vikings, who appear to be a good quarterback away from being extremely competitive in the NFC.
Based on how Jones has played in eight starts for the 49ers this season, he would, at least right now, appear to be the superior option over McCarthy, whose fundamentals and technique have apparently led to accuracy problems and a whopping eight interceptions in five starts.
Jones, the 15th overall pick by New England in 2021, has led the 49ers to five wins in eight starts. With Brock Purdy back in the starting lineup, it's unclear if Jones will get a chance to add to his numbers: 2,151 pass yards, 13 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 69.6 completion percentage.
Adding Jones via a trade wouldn't be a bad approach if the Vikings aren't certain about McCarthy after this season, though the 22-year-old still has seven games to prove he's the answer going forward in Minnesota. But Jones wouldn't be terribly expensive to acquire, and he'd still have one year and a $2.2 million cap hit on his contract, according to Over The Cap.
If Jones were to win the job over McCarthy, he could find himself in a situation similar to Sam Darnold with the Vikings in 2024, when he took advantage of a prove-it deal and earned a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seahawks.
Jones might fit what Minnesota needs. But if that move is made, it says quite a bit about where the organization really stands on McCarthy. One could argue that Jones being acquired by Minnesota would be somewhat similar to how Daniel Jones signed with Indianapolis, largely because (we presume) he thought he could win the starting job over 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson.
McCarthy can silence reports like this with a strong finish this season. That journey begins Sunday at Lambeau Field.