The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly hanging a wild price tag on Mac Jones, making any trade for the dude seem less likely than ever. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano jumped into a true-or-false debate about whether J.J. McCarthy would be the only quarterback traded ahead of the deadline, and the talk quickly turned to Jones. The Niners have been clear they’re not interested in dealing him, and honestly, it would take a serious haul to change their minds. But hey, it’s the NFL, right? Desperation changes everything.
Are They Really Asking for a Day 2 Pick?!
So, what’s the ask? Fowler said it loud and clear: “real draft capital , perhaps a Day 2 pick , to get in the door on Jones.” A *Day 2 pick* for a backup quarterback, even if he did fill in admirably after Brock Purdy sat out seven games last season? Purdy is playing at an MVP level right now, so it makes zero sense for San Francisco to deal Jones unless someone is offering the moon. For any team to even consider parting with a second- or third-round pick, they’d have to believe they have a legitimate shot at the playoffs this year. That’s a serious gamble on a backup, even one who’s proven he can step up. You gotta wonder if teams are really that desperate.
The Injury Bug, Again, For the Niners
Here’s the kicker, though: while they’re playing hardball on Jones, the 49ers are dealing with their usual injury issues. When ESPN insiders were asked which team’s injury problems were most concerning, the answer was, you guessed it, the 49ers. The asterisk? “They’re 3-0 and deal with this every year, so I don’t think it’s them.” Seriously? They’re already banged up!
Fowler did say if their core players can stay “remotely healthy,” the Niners can be “in the thick of the playoff race in January.” But let’s look at the “core players” list: Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Mike Evans, Nick Bosa, and Fred Warner. Guess what? Williams, Evans, and Bosa are already hurt. Trent Williams is supposedly “unlikely to miss a game,” but he didn’t even finish Week 3. Come on, man. Their key guys are already limping, and that’s impacting how they can put a team on the field. It hasn’t shown up on the scoreboard yet, but it’s taking its toll, no doubt. We saw the “Nick Bosa effect” in Week 3, where he pretty much “single-handedly ended drives and gotten the defense off the field,” while Romello Height, James Thompson Jr., and CJ West weren’t playing. Imagine if he wasn’t there?
Evans Down: A Gift For the Emerald City Defense
Now, this is where it gets spicy for us, Seattle. The biggest hit? Losing Mike Evans. Purdy threw to Evans on “half his routes” against the Cardinals, showing he’s Brock’s absolute go-to target. The loss of Evans “will be felt against the upper-echelon defenses, like Denver and Seattle.” You hear that? Our defense is exactly the kind of unit that will expose that hole in their offense.
Kyle Shanahan is a “mastermind” and can scheme guys open, but at some point, your dudes have to be better than their dudes. And if their dude, their main target, is out? That’s a huge problem. It means our Emerald City defense can absolutely feast when we face them.
Can their “aging roster” truly hold up through the whole season, especially when they’re running into tough defenses like ours? We’ll be watching closely to see how these injuries play out for them, and how much that “real draft capital” for Mac Jones might look like a wasted asset as their core crumbles.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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