Trade Idea: Patriots Send Mac to 49ers?

If the New England Patriots opt to sever ties with Mac Jones, the San Francisco 49ers are one of the most intriguing options.

It's increasingly clear that Mac won't be back.

The New England Patriots' Mac Jones era has ended with a resounding thud. While New England (4-11) has been far from dominant since Jones was officially relieved of passing duties, lukewarm offensive progress has seeped through the many cracks with Bailey Zappe at the helm. Despite injuries to offensive weaponry like Hunter Henry and Rhamondre Stevenson, Zappe has posted a 2-2 record as a starter, matching Jones' victory output in only four starts. 

If this was college football, Mac would likely already be in the transfer portal. But in the NFL, he has to wait for his team to move him to a better situation via trade.

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With one year left on the deal Jones was granted upon arriving in New England as the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Patriots management has a decision to make: forced to eat over $4.9 million if they release him a year early, they could either let Jones compete with Zappe to serve as a backup to the presume replacement found in early stages of this spring's draft or trade him for any spare parts they can obtain. 

The salary cap experts at Spotrac suggest the latter, proposing a deal where Jones heads west to the San Francisco 49ers. As Spotrac's Michael Ginnitti notes, Zappe is easier to keep aboard and his recent play has also likely earned him a little more leeway if and when the front office decides to clean house. 

"Will they pay him his fully guaranteed $2.78M salary as a buyout?" Ginnitti asks. "Or will they keep him in the fold to compete as needed? Current QB1 Bailey Zappe sits on a non-guaranteed $985,000 minimum salary next season."

San Francisco's understudy situation is fairly interesting since the team decided to fully turn the offensive reigns over to Brock Purdy. The 49ers traded Trey Lance, the third pick in 2021, to Dallas late last offseason and now keep Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen in case of a Purdy emergency. San Francisco lost both Purdy and then-backup Josh Johnson during last year's NFC title game, leading the NFL to adjust current understudy quarterback procedures to allow for an emergency third arm in case the top two go down. 

Mac Jones Signs Rookie Deal with Patriots

A move to the Bay Area would likely provide Jones with what he needs at this point in his career: a consequence-free year to observe and report to a lauded offensive mind like Kyle Shanahan and perhaps engage in a competition with fellow AFC East draft washout Darnold as each attempts to reclaim the narrative on his NFL career. Back in New England, Zappe has at least played well enough to ensure he gets a shot to retain backup duties, so it's a deal that works out for all sides even if it's a relative blip on the Foxborough radar in the long run.

Two games with Jones on the roster presumably remain for New England. The first lands on Sunday as the Patriots face the surging Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park (1 p.m. ET, CBS). 

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