As we’ve noted throughout the offseason, a trade for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones won’t come cheap. Hearing the asking price from those around the league only confirms that thought. In fact, any hypothetical trade to land him might cost the farm.
Jason La Canfora spoke with league executives who are convinced it will take the moon and the stars to pry Jones from the 49ers.
“You’d better be prepared to trade for a starter, and a top-20 starter, because that’s what Kyle is going to say he is,” one executive told La Canfora as shared in his Sports Boom article. “They’re going to hold out for a real (draft) pick.”
Parsing that quote, it doesn’t appear to mean a team like Pittsburgh would need to give up a starter. Rather, head coach Kyle Shanahan views Jones as a top-20 NFL starting quarterback and will set his draft price accordingly. What a “real” draft pick means is subjective, but it certainly won’t be anything on the cheap. A Day 2 pick will be required and even that alone might not be enough.
“I know that Kyle doesn’t want to lose him,” a separate executive told La Canfora. “I think they’ll put up a pretty good fight. You’re going to have to knock their socks off.”
Jones revived his career with an impressive 2025 season in relief of an injured Brock Purdy. He kept the 49ers’ season afloat with a 5-3 record, throwing for 13 touchdowns while completing a career-high 69.6 percent of his passes. Jones showed up in the clutch with two game-winning drives and a season that included a thrilling overtime road win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Knowing the valuable role he played, the 49ers have good reason to hang onto him. In a quarterback market that would leave San Francisco with few other veteran options, there’s every reason to believe Jones is more valuable than a third-round pick. Even though he’ll be a free agent after the 2026 season, the 49ers could eventually receive a strong compensatory pick that further lessens the value of a draft pick. And Shanahan has good enough job security to likely be around to realize that selection.
So what would it take for the Steelers to acquire him? A third-round pick and something else? Their second-round selection? Is any of that worth it? The 49ers are likely going to get calls on Jones but if Pittsburgh and anyone else want to hear more than a dial tone, their offer must impress.
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