From now until the NFL's trade deadline on Nov. 10, many pundits will offer hypothetical deals involving San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones. He's an experienced veteran on a cheap deal who could inject some optimism into some teams looking for quarterback help, even if the 49ers have shown no willingness to trade him.
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr floated a "dream" trade idea that would send Jones to the Philadelphia Eagles — a team he believes could be looking for a quarterback shakeup this year, given the instability of Tanner McKee and the uncertainty surrounding Jalen Hurts in 2027 after his recent blood clot situation. Orr added that, in doing so, the 49ers would also bring back Jimmy Garoppolo as Brock Purdy's backup.
Jones’s
expertise in the Kyle Shanahan offense makes him an easier pair with a new prospective play-caller, or as a partner for Mannion, who coached in the Shanahan-adjacent Matt LaFleur system [as quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers].
This trade, of course, would not occur if the 49ers did not have a backup en route. While this part isn’t a trade, per se, it involves Garoppolo coming back to his former home to backstop Brock Purdy. The 49ers have legitimate title aspirations after starting the season on one of the league’s longest winning streaks and Shanahan enjoyed above replacement-level play from Jones when Purdy was injured last season. Given that he’s needed to play multiple quarterbacks in every season as 49ers head coach, Shanahan would not part ways with an incredible bargain like Jones if he didn’t have someone able to run his system.
While the trade could net the 49ers a solid return from an impending free agent, there are three main reasons this deal would never happen, and why it's more a nightmare scenario for San Francisco than the "dream" that it's being presented as by Orr.
1. The 49ers love Jones too much as a backup
San Francisco has appeared unwilling to move on from Jones after he kept its playoff hopes alive while Brock Purdy was hurt in 2025. He went 5-3 in eight starts and threw for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions with a 69.6% completion rate.
Recent reports have pegged the asking price at a second-round pick, but it’s unclear what the 49ers would accept for an impending free agent. There is no incentive to move off of Jones financially, either, as he has just a $3.1 million cap hit this season. Why would the 49ers risk a competent insurance policy at quarterback for someone like Garoppolo?
2. Garoppolo would be a weird choice to replace Jones
Garoppolo started for San Francisco from 2017 to 2022, including the Super Bowl LIV run, before Purdy took over. But his departure was marred by weirdness between player and team. The 49ers traded up for Trey Lance as Garoppolo's replacement, which set up a strange two years before injuries to Lance and Garoppolo led to Purdy becoming the starter.
Kyle Shanahan wanted to move on from Garoppolo for a reason back then; why would he think an older version of that player would be any better as a backup? And why would Garoppolo even return as a backup to the team that moved on from him? He effectively retired this year after failing to reach a deal with the Arizona Cardinals and deciding not to return to the Los Angeles Rams as a backup. Coming back to San Francisco in the same role would be a tough sell, and it’s no upgrade on Jones.
3. The 49ers would be helping another NFC contender
The Eagles are not really contending in 2026, but trading them Jones could give Philadelphia an alley to reclaim the NFC East and make a run at the playoffs this year. The Eagles have a solid roster and are just a quarterback away. There is no incentive for the 49ers to help them, even if they got back a solid draft piece in any deal.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: ‘Dream’ Mac Jones trade may be Kyle Shanahan’s nightmare
