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49ers Roster Decision Could Open Up Possibility of Mac Jones Trade
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- 49ers Roster Decision Could Open Up Possibility of Mac Jones Trade
The San Francisco 49ers have a luxury that few other NFL teams enjoy. They not only have a Pro Bowl-caliber starting quarterback in Brock Purdy , but behind him, they have a backup in Mac Jones who could possibly start on some other teams.
Jones was the subject of trade rumors for several months going into the offseason, but the Niners' price for him was fairly high, and he remained put.
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Granted, the Niners are likely grateful to have someone as capable as Jones on the sideline in case Purdy gets injured again. But they kept Kurtis Rourke over Adrian Martinez for the QB3 spot, and while one may not think too much of that decision, one insider feels it could open the door to Jones being shopped on the open market again.
Will Jones stay or go?
Aug 3, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) during training camp at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN, having Rourke around could eventually make Jones expendable and open up the opportunity of trading Jones, via Coach Yac on X (formerly Twitter).
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"The Niners were always going to have starter Brock Purdy and backup Mac Jones on the initial 53-man roster, but retaining Kurtis Rourke as the third signal-caller indicates a few things about the future of the position. First, it shows that Rourke impressed enough in camp to earn a spot on the 53 despite suffering broken ribs in the first half of the first preseason game. With Jones entering the final year of his deal, the Niners are happy to hang on to him now as Purdy's primary backup. And though they'd love to keep him around, growing belief in Rourke could also reopen the possibility of trading Jones at some point. If not, Rourke, once he heals up, has a chance to show he's capable of being the top backup to Purdy in the not-too-distant future."
Rourke played in just one preseason game for the Niners. In that game, which took place on Aug. 13 versus the Tennessee Titans , he completed 12 of 14 passing attempts and threw for 101 yards. He suffered three broken ribs in that contest, but he returned to practice on Monday.
He was a seventh-round draft choice last year out of Indiana University and didn't play at all during the 2025 regular season. In 2024, he threw for 3,042 yards and 29 touchdowns after spending the previous five years at Ohio University.
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Martinez, meanwhile, finished the preseason with 36 completions in 68 passing attempts, 346 passing yards, one passing touchdown and two interceptions.
At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Rourke has seemingly prototypical size for the NFL quarterback position. However, mobility seems to be a bit of a concern for him, especially since he played the 2024 season on a torn ACL and later underwent surgery as a result.
Jones filled in ably for Purdy last year when Purdy was sidelined with a toe injury. He started in eight games and finished with 2,151 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns while completing 69.6% of his passing attempts. In the games he started, San Francisco went 5-3.
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This year's NFL trade deadline is Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. New York time.
San Francisco 49ers Essentials
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
