Pro Football Rumors
As a token of appreciation for his strong work in relief of Brock Purdy in 2025, the 49ers gave backup quarterback Mac Jones a $300K roster bonus last month. That brought his total base pay for 2026 to $3.55MM, with another $2.25MM available in incentives.
That represents strong value for the 49ers, who are paying a pittance (relative to the position he plays) for a passer who could have fetched a Malik Willis-type deal on the open market this offseason if he had been eligible for free agency. Since Purdy is in place as the unquestioned starter in San Francisco, and since Jones’ salary is more than palatable, it is not surprising that QB-needy clubs called the Niners to discuss a possible trade for their QB2.
It is likewise not surprising that GM John Lynch set an “astronomical” asking price on Jones, with one early-March report suggesting Lynch wanted more than a second-round pick in return. Likely as a result of those demands, it appears a trade market for Jones never truly materialized.
Still, the fact remains that Lynch was willing to trade Jones; he just wanted to juice his leverage for all he could. But that does not mean he will not try to cash in his asset at some point.
As Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes, the Niners remain intrigued by 2025 seventh-round quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who redshirted his rookie year as he recovered from surgery to repair a partially-torn ACL. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is lauded for his work with Purdy (2022’s Mr. Irrelevant) and Jones, and if Rourke shows enough in training camp, the preseason, and regular season practices to make the team believe it has caught lightning in another seventh-round bottle, it could view Jones as a luxury rather than a necessity as it looks to compete in a loaded NFC West.
Indeed, Branch suggests Shanahan could give Rourke more practice snaps than a third-stringer would normally earn to see if he is prepared to operate as Purdy’s backup sooner than anticipated. If he does, and if another team should find itself in need of a quarterback prior to the November 3 trade deadline, Branch believes Lynch would be willing to make a deal.
Jones posted a 5-3 record as a starter in 2025. He completed 69.6% of passes, averaged 7.4 yards per attempt, tossed 13 touchdowns against six interceptions, and put up a 97.4 traditional rating and 62.3 QBR.
