The San Francisco 49ers have an interesting opportunity this offseason. They have Brock Purdy as the starting quarterback and a very valuable Mac Jones as a backup.
Teams will likely have a lot of interest in Jones this offseason after his promising starts with the 49ers this past season. While the 49ers might want to keep him, the offers might be too good to pass up.
One such possible offer is a trade proposal from Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine. They propose the 49ers send Jones to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-year-old 7.5 sack pass rusher Nick Herbig, and a draft pick to significantly improve the pass rush unit.
49ers trade proposal sends Mac Jones to Steelers for Nick Herbig, draft pick
“49ers Receive: Edge Nick Herbig, 2026 sixth-round pick (No. 215). Steelers Receive: QB Mac Jones,” Ballentine proposed.
The 49ers being able to land Herbig, a 24-year-old pass rusher coming off a 7.5 sack season, would be a great use of Jones in a trade.
With Aaron Rodgers potentially not returning to the Steelers, they will be in dire need of a new quarterback. Will Howard is an intriguing option, but someone like Jones, who’s proven himself to be a solid starter, would be a great target for the Steelers.
Part of what makes this deal work so well is that both Jones and Herbig are in the final years of their current deals. Both are incredibly valuable, but they both don’t have paths to consistent starts.
More: Steelers, 49ers or Packers could pull off trade with Colts after latest QB rumors
Purdy is blocking Jones, while T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are blocking Herbig. With the quarterback position being more valuable, Ballentine has the Steelers giving up a Day 3 draft pick, along with Herbig, to make this work.
If the 49ers could find a way to pull off this trade, pairing Herbig with Nick Bosa for the 2026 season, it would be a deal that John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan should jump all over.
Losing a quality backup quarterback would sting, but with how Shanahan has helped develop Sam Darnold, Purdy, and Jones, a new quarterback who struggled in his first stops in the NFL could turn his career around with the 49ers. Zach Wilson is one option.
This proposal from Ballentine is not just a very fun one, but it’s one that makes sense for everyone involved. While it’s only an idea for a trade, such a deal is something the 49ers should try to find if they do move on from Jones this offseason.
