Everyone has a number. Despite previous public posturing, the San Francisco 49ers have one for QB Mac Jones. Whether or not a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers would be willing to pay it is a separate discussion.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, 49ers GM John Lynch said the team is willing to deal Jones if there’s an offer he can’t refuse.
“He’s really good for us, and we value that,” Lynch said via beat writer Nick Wagoner. “And so somebody would have to come with something fairly strong for us to consider (trading him). And then I don’t know what we do. Obviously, there’s always something that would make you (do it), but I think we’re a better team with him on it, and we just like having him around.”
#49ers GM John Lynch on QB Mac Jones:
"He's really good for us and we value that. And so somebody would have to come with something fairly strong for us to consider (trading him). And then I don't know what we do. Obviously there's always something that would make you (do it),…
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) February 24, 2026
Earlier this offseason, the 49ers shut down any notion the franchise was willing to trade away Jones, one of the top backup quarterbacks in the league and someone San Francisco views as a top-20 starter across the NFL. But Lynch is reiterating that any trade for Jones won’t come cheap.
It’s still unclear what that price will be. A third-round pick might not get it done. Perhaps a deal would need to look similar to the one Lynch made in his first year on the job, sending the New England Patriots a second-round pick in 2017 for QB Jimmy Garoppolo. A deal that worked out well for both sides. The Patriots got a pretty draft pick, the 49ers a multi-year starter who won 38 games and led the organization to a Super Bowl, albeit one the team lost.
If Aaron Rodgers returns, any idea of Pittsburgh making a run at Jones goes up in smoke. But if he retires, the Steelers will need to pivot quickly. With QB Malik Willis potentially just too expensive, Jones might become the team’s top option. A mountain of draft picks will make a trade easier to accomplish. If not Pittsburgh, the rest of the quarterback-needy NFL might find out what it takes to get Lynch to say yes to a deal.
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