This offseason is going to be an absolute roller coaster ride for the Minnesota Vikings, especially at the quarterback position after J.J. McCarthy's rocky first year as the starter.
All indications have been that the Vikings will look to bring in some competition to push McCarthy for the starting job. While there are a lot of names that will be attached to those rumors, including another offseason of Aaron Rodgers watch, one name makes a lot of sense. But will the compensation being asked be too much?
One of the names being mentioned is San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones, after a string of strong starts replacing Brock Purdy this season. NFL insider Tom Pelissero went on KFAN 100.3, where he addressed the Jones-to-Vikings rumors and seemed to suggest it might be too hard on Minnesota.
“I don't know that the 49ers are taking a fourth-rounder, or even a third for Mac Jones… he’s also gonna want a new contract as a part of that deal.”
Mac Jones in the purple Minnesota Vikings uniforms might be too much of a stretch
Jones was stellar in his eight starts replacing Purdy as the starter, as he went 5-3 in those starts. In 11 total appearances on the season, Jones completed 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards and 13 touchdowns to six interceptions, adding another 60 yards on the ground.
For what the Vikings need, Jones just seems like the perfect fit for the offense. He can run it exactly the way Sam Darnold did in 2024, and do it well enough under the guidance of head coach Kevin O'Connell.
It also provides the Vikings the insurance they need, just in case things go south again with McCarthy as the starter. While Carson Wentz did some decent things, it was clear that he or Max Brosmer was not the right option as the backup for what McCarthy needed.
As for a trade with the 49ers, if Pelissero is right and the Vikings have to surrender a first- or second-round pick, is it really worth it for Mac Jones? He's 27 and still young enough that if he somehow becomes the franchise quarterback, it would still work, but part of the problem the Vikings are dealing with is that they haven't had the draft picks to build the roster the right way.
The other issue is the contract, as Jones is going to command roughly $15-20 million, which is a lot for a backup. This is a franchise that spent over $300 million in free agency last year, so can they even afford to bring in a backup of that caliber?
Minnesota would love to have a better backup quarterback option, but the Vikings have to decide if basically selling the farm for a guy who might not start is even worth it.