Vikings Unlikely to Trade for 49ers QB Mac Jones

A complex quarterback situation in Minnesota leaves little room for the Vikings to add another signal-caller.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 5:25am by

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting showing overlapping geometric shapes and planes in muted earth tones, representing the intricate quarterback situation in Minnesota with multiple players competing for the starting role.A conceptual illustration depicting the complex quarterback dynamics in Minnesota, with Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, and J.J. McCarthy all vying for playing time.San Francisco Today

Sports Illustrated recently floated the idea of the Minnesota Vikings trading for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones. However, this proposal seems highly unlikely given that the Vikings have already signed Kyler Murray as their new starting QB. Adding Jones to the mix would create an overly crowded quarterback room, especially with Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy already on the roster.

Why it matters

The Vikings spent months this offseason reshaping their quarterback situation, culminating in the signing of Kyler Murray. Bringing in Mac Jones now would only add unnecessary clutter and competition, when the team should be focused on building around Murray as their new franchise QB.

The details

SI.com's Mark Morales-Smith outlined a potential trade that would send Jones to Minnesota in exchange for quarterback J.J. McCarthy and a fourth-round pick. However, the Vikings don't even have a fourth-rounder in 2026 after trading theirs away in a deal for Adam Thielen. Additionally, McCarthy is still viewed as a promising young QB that the team wants to develop, making him unlikely to be included in any trade.

  • In January and February, a Jones-to-Vikings trade made more sense before the team signed Murray.
  • The Vikings signed Murray to a team-friendly deal in March 2026.

The players

Kyler Murray

The quarterback the Vikings signed in March 2026 to be their new starting QB after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals.

Mac Jones

The San Francisco 49ers quarterback who was the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and is currently backing up Brock Purdy.

J.J. McCarthy

The Vikings' young quarterback who they are still committed to developing after he had a rocky start to his NFL career due to injuries.

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What they’re saying

“Getting rid of McCarthy is an addition by subtraction. It also makes sense to bring in competition for Murray, who is not a lock to pan out.”

— Mark Morales-Smith, SI.com Writer

What’s next

The Vikings are expected to move forward with Kyler Murray as their starting quarterback, with J.J. McCarthy as the primary backup. Any potential trade for Mac Jones is highly unlikely at this point.

The takeaway

The Vikings have already invested heavily in reshaping their quarterback room this offseason, and adding another high-profile signal-caller like Mac Jones would only create unnecessary competition and clutter when the team should be focused on building around Kyler Murray as their new franchise QB.