Former Alabama QB Mac Jones will be subject to plenty of trade speculation this offseason after an impressive season serving as Brock Purdy's backup with the San Francisco 49ers.
Jones started eight games for the Niners and finished the season ranked 10th in the NFL with a QBR of 62.3. San Francisco went 5-3 in his eight starts, with Jones doing the job Kyle Shanahan and company hoped he could do: keep the 49ers afloat if Purdy missed any time.
Purdy has a well-documented injury history in his short NFL career, and that could make the 49ers apprehensive to move Jones.
But they could ultimately get an offer that is too good to pass up. That's exactly what happens in this mock trade put together by ESPN NFL expert Bill Barnwell.
Barnwell has Jones being traded, along with a 2027 third-round pick, to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, and two additional conditional picks, including a 2028 third-rounder, depending on how much Jones plays for the Vikings.
Mac Jones could replace JJ McCarthy in Minnesota
Bringing in competition for JJ McCarthy only makes sense for the Vikings. The former Top 10 pick out of Michigan, who signed a $22 million contract with Minnesota, struggled mightily in his first season as the team's starting QB.
The Vikings let Sam Darnold walk in free agency to hand the reins over to McCarthy, who finished with a QBR of 35.6 and threw 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Minnesota might not be ready to fully move on from McCarthy, but they can't go another season with the potential bust as the only starting option at the position.
The Vikings fell from 14-3 in 2024 to 9-8 in 2025. That's despite having some of the best offensive weapons in the NFL, highlighted by All Pro WR Justin Jefferson, who would instantly be the best WR - by a significant margin - that Jones has ever gotten to play with in the NFL.
Jones, a former first-round pick in his own right, flashed the promise he displayed as a rookie with the Patriots this past season for the 49ers. He's likely to get another opportunity to start in the NFL, whether that is in 2026 or in 2027 as a free agent when his contract with the Niners runs out.