New Quarterback Trade Idea Floated for Vikings
J.J. McCarthy will prove to the Minnesota Vikings’ brass in the next two months if he’s the sole quarterback plan for the future — or if the club must sign an alternative during the 2026 offseason for competition. And according to Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio, Mac Jones should be on Minnesota’s radar.
A new quarterback trade idea has been floated for the Vikings, adding another wrinkle to the team’s long-term plans as roster debates heat up.
Jones has filled in admirably this season for San Francisco 49ers QB1 Brock Purdy, so much so that Jones will be sought after when the offseason arrives.
Mac Jones the Latest Quarterback Trade Idea for Vikings
There may be a lot of these, depending on McCarthy’s final seven games.
Mike Florio: Why Not Mac Jones?
Yes, the Mac Jones segment of 2025 is for Vikings-themed chatter.
Florio wrote this week, “There’s already chatter in some circles that, in the 2026 offseason, the Vikings will explore trading for 49ers quarterback Mac Jones. For the Vikings, it could make sense to bring in a veteran who would compete with J.J. McCarthy.”
“The top-10 pick in 2024 hasn’t done enough to have the presumed starter role next season. A true competition could force the issue, getting McCarthy to make the improvements that the Vikings want to see, or else.”
Florio has a large enough stage for this thing to turn into an honest-to-goodness rumor.
Jones’ Production as a Starter This Season
On Jones’ watch in 2025, San Francisco boasts a 5-3 record. That aspect will assuredly attract quarterback-hungry general managers. Then, in eight starts, Jones has delivered 2,151 passing yards, a 69.6% completion percentage, 13 touchdowns, and 6 picks.
He’s on pace for this stat line when translated to 17 games:
— 4,570 Passing Yards
— 28 Passing TDs
— 13 INTs
— 9 Fumbles
— 69.6% Completion
Jones is also the NFL’s 11th-best passer per EPA+CPOE, notably outpacing Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, and Justin Herbert, among others.
Following the Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold Arc
Make no mistake, if one assumes that San Francisco will trade Jones and fetch a sweet draft pick — it may not and simply keep Jones as the best backup in the NFL as insurance for Brock Purdy — teams will call about his availability.
In the last few seasons, Mayfield and Darnold have totally revitalized their career with the right coaching staff and offensive schemes. The early section of the offseason will be spent by NFL pundits claiming that Jones is next.
Hopefully, Vikings Don’t Need Anybody Like Jones
Jones will enter the chat for Minnesota if McCarthy does not improve the season’s final seven games. In a bizarre twist, McCarthy has performed well in clutch moments — and then that’s it. It’s one of the strangest things in the NFL right now, a 22-year-old passer whose green light only turns on when the game is on the line.
Before the 4th Quarter, McCarthy has struggled with passing accuracy and basic quarterback functionality. If he does not have a realization of consistency, the Vikings will need a quarterback in 2026 to compete for the main starter’s job.
That could be Jones. Florio’s take is not out of left field.
More from Florio
Florio also noted, “There won’t be a ton of great options in free agency. There’s no Darnold this year. Daniel Jones most likely won’t be available, even though he signed a one-year deal with the Colts, who would be wise to sign him to a long-term deal weeks before the annual illegal tampering starts. (The franchise tag remains available, obviously.)”
“Who else is there? Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers (who turns 42 on December 3), Jimmy Garoppolo, Tyrod Taylor, Trey Lance, Marcus Mariota, Joe Flacco, and Gardner Minshew headline a weak (relative to recent years) class of veterans with starting experience. Kyler Murray also will be available, possibly via trade. (It’s also possible he’ll be released).”
Garoppolos, Taylors, Lances, and Mariotas will be options if McCarthy trends positively in 2025. If he stinks, the Vikings will need more than a journeyman, mid-tier fallback.
“Jones, whom the Vikings could have signed in 2025, could be the best option. The right choice to either light a fire under McCarthy or, if that doesn’t do the trick, seize the job. Minnesota’s only other in-house option is undrafted rookie Max Brosmer. Privately, they love Brosmer. But they’ve been unwilling, to date, to give him live reps,” Florio continued.
“As it stands, the Vikings should be carefully considering all options for potentially having a veteran who has a chance to earn playing time through a fair and square offseason workout and training-camp battle — if McCarthy fails to show from this point on that he’s the long-term answer at the position.”
The 49ers would probably ask for a mid-round pick to land Jones’ services via trade.
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