As the Minnesota Vikings attempt to figure out what they need to do to avoid missing the playoffs again next season, making a trade for someone like San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones is an option that some have suggested as a possibility to help them get back to the postseason.
With the 49ers in 2025, Jones completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 97.4 passer rating in 11 appearances. Of those 11 games that he appeared in this season, he started eight of them, and San Francisco posted a 5-3 record in those matchups.
Given how well Jones played in his eight starts in 2025, he knows there's a possibility that another team could attempt to trade for him this offseason before his contract expires with the 49ers in 2027.
During an appearance on NFL Network's "The Insiders" show on Thursday, the topic of all the trade chatter involving him was brought up, and if a team were to make a deal for him this year, he shared what qualities he'd like that organization to have.
"What I do know is you've gotta be in the right situation. That's definitely what I learned this year. Just being in the right offense with playmakers around you. That's important.
So, any quarterback that's in free agency or could get traded or whatever your situation is, you want to go somewhere that fits and makes sense.
...We'll see what happens. It's good to be talked about, and at the end of the day, I want to just keep playing good ball."
Are the Minnesota Vikings the "right situation" for San Francisco 49ers QB Mac Jones?
Back in 2024, the Vikings signed a guy named Sam Darnold in free agency after he spent the previous season in San Francisco learning under head coach Kyle Shanahan and backing up Brock Purdy.
That worked out really well for Minnesota, so could they look to go back to that well again this offseason, and make a trade for Jones?
The Vikings are a team that seems to meet the desires that he laid out on Thursday. Jones would be a good fit in Kevin O'Connell's offense and Minnesota's roster is full of playmakers, led by, of course, All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
The Vikings just have to figure out what they would be willing to part with in order to acquire Jones in a trade with the 49ers.
Ironically, Minnesota is expected to be given a third-round compensatory 2026 draft selection for Darnold leaving in free agency last year, and that could potentially be the pick used by the Vikings to acquire Jones from San Francisco.