Steelers trade proposal lands $7 million former Patriots Pro Bowl QB originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers are in an interesting position in mid-May.
While the franchise has identified its short-term solution at quarterback (Aaron Rodgers inked a one-year contract with the Steelers on Saturday), they don’t have a clear-cut long-term signal-caller it can feel comfortable about.
In a thought-provoking trade proposal crafted by Heavy’s Owen Crisafulli, the Steelers would land a former New England Patriots Pro Bowl quarterback to eventually replace Rodgers in Pittsburgh.
“(Mac) Jones is an intriguing option (for the Steelers), as he showed himself well in 2025 with the 49ers while filling in for Brock Purdy,” Crisafulli wrote last Sunday. “In fact, if it weren’t for Jones’ strong play last season (201/289, 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions), the Niners probably would have missed the playoffs entirely.”
“Pittsburgh could be one of the few teams left that is willing to take a flier on Jones. While he isn’t the most physically imposing quarterback, Jones proved he can will his team to wins, even without a stellar supporting cast.”
“Giving up a second-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft is still a pretty high price to pay, but if the Steelers can find their way back to the playoffs, that could make this a bit of an easier deal to stomach.”
After flaming out with the Patriots after three seasons, and spending one uneventful year with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones transitioned to life with the 49ers as a backup to franchise quarterback Mac Jones.
As Crisafulli noted, Jones played well with San Francisco when Purdy was unavailable due to injuries, which likely increased his trade value going forward.
Is he a QB that Pittsburgh could view as an ideal successor to Rodgers? Perhaps, considering he was previously an above-average signal-caller on an upward trajectory and is only 27 years old.
Time will tell if the Steelers reach out to the 49ers to inquire about Jones.
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