The San Francisco 49ers entered the NFL trade deadline with a clear stance on backup quarterback Mac Jones: he was available only at a premium that few teams appeared willing to meet.
When the deadline passed and Jones remained in the Bay Area, questions lingered about exactly what San Francisco had demanded in return.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided the answer.
In a detailed account of the late discussions that swirled around the quarterback market, Schefter reported that the 49ers told the Minnesota Vikings it would take a second-round pick and additional compensation to pry Jones away.
The Vikings had reached out as part of their broader search for a quarterback ahead of the deadline. General manager John Lynch delivered the same elevated price that San Francisco had set in earlier conversations about Jones.
Schefter noted that the two teams had discussed the possibility before, and the 49ers had consistently placed a high valuation on the former first-round selection.
Coach Kyle Shanahan, according to the report, regards Jones as a franchise-caliber quarterback and was prepared to move him only for an offer the organization felt it could not refuse.
Once Minnesota heard the asking price, the talks ended quickly. Jones stayed put, still viewed inside the building as a valuable piece of the roster.
That valuation is rooted in what Jones showed in 2025. After signing with the 49ers, he stepped in for an injured Brock Purdy and started eight games, leading the team to a 5-3 record.
He completed roughly 69 percent of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Shanahan has long admired Jones’s skill set; the coach was high on him as a prospect when the New England Patriots selected him 15th overall in the 2021 draft. Jones earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie but struggled in subsequent seasons in New England, then spent a year in Jacksonville before joining San Francisco.
This season he has remained the backup while Purdy has started every game, yet the 49ers have shown little interest in dealing him for ordinary compensation.
The elevated price tag reflects both Jones’s recent performance and the 49ers’ desire to keep reliable insurance at the position.
With Purdy’s injury history in mind, San Francisco appears content to retain one of the league’s more proven backups rather than cash in on a mid-round pick.
For now, Jones continues to sit behind the starter, his trade market cooled by the cost San Francisco attached to any potential deal. The deadline has closed, but the 49ers’ high regard for their backup remains intact.
