Could San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones be the answer to the Pittsburgh Steelers' ongoing quarterback dilemma? Pittsburgh continues to wait on Aaron Rodgers' decision regarding his future. Will the veteran return for the 2026 NFL season, or retire and bring his Hall of Fame career to a close?
In a recent breakdown, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton outlined five contingency plans for the Steelers. Among them were pursuing J.J. McCarthy or selecting Ty Simpson in the draft. Another option, however, involved making the San Francisco 49ers an aggressive trade offer for Jones—one the team might find difficult to refuse.
There has been limited trade buzz surrounding Jones, largely due to San Francisco's reportedly steep asking price for Brock Purdy's backup. Still, a quarterback-needy Steelers team could be motivated to pursue a deal for a veteran signal-caller who performed well in relief of Purdy last season.
"The Steelers can meet the San Francisco 49ers' steep asking price for Mac Jones," Moton wrote. "The Athletic's Jeff Howe believes the 49ers could demand a first-round pick for their backup signal-caller, who went 5-3 as a fill-in starter last season."
A first-round pick in exchange for Jones may be a stretch, regardless of how highly the 49ers value him. Moton suggests a second-round selection could be enough to get a deal done. San Francisco currently holds just six picks in the 2026 NFL Draft—one in each of the first two rounds and four in the fourth.
Meanwhile, the Steelers own the No. 53 overall pick, five selections ahead of San Francisco's second-round pick.
Moton also views Jones, who has made 57 NFL starts, as an upgrade over current Steelers quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.
"New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has a strong track record with quarterbacks, particularly in the early development of Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott in his prime," Moton added. "He could help Jones have a Sam Darnold-like career turnaround in Pittsburgh."
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