Andrew Buller-Russ
When the offseason kicked off, no one knew who the Minnesota Vikings would turn to, but the expectation was that there would be competition coming to the quarterback room in the Twin Cities. Of course, the drama didn’t last long when the Vikings added former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray shortly after free agency kicked off. Later, the Vikings seemingly finalized their QB room by re-signing Carson Wentz, who started five games for Minnesota in 2025.
With 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, Murray, Wentz, and 2025 undrafted free agent signee, the Vikings were ready to move forward with their re-shaped QB room, one that featured a lot more experience and upside. Yet, as the Vikings filled out their depth chart, another former first-round pick who may have been eyeing a trade to Minnesota wound up on the short end of the stick.
One of the leading topics heading into the offseason was the likelihood of the San Francisco 49ers capitalizing on a career year from Mac Jones and trading him, possibly for a Day 2 draft pick. The Vikings, led by Kevin O’Connell, who runs a similar system to Kyle Shanahan, were a popular rumored landing spot for the 27-year-old Jones after he led the 49ers to a 5-3 record.
Of course, the Vikings didn’t end up trading for Jones. The 49ers reportedly set an asking price of a first-round pick for Jones; thus, no one ended up trading for him.
Yet, according to ESPN’s 49ers insider Nick Wagoner, Jones may have privately been hoping to end up in Minnesota this offseason.
“Then, for a team such as the Minnesota Vikings, which was believed to be Jones’ preferred destination outside of San Francisco, it was easier and cheaper to sign Kyler Murray to a league-minimum deal because of offset language in his contract, than it was to deal a pick and then potentially sign Jones to a lucrative extension.”
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner on Mac Jones
Landing in Minnesota could have put Jones on a similar path to another former Shanahan disciple in Sam Darnold, who spent one season in San Francisco before signing in Minnesota for a year, then cashing in with the Seattle Seahawks a year later, winning a Super Bowl in the process.
It’s easy to see how Jones envisioned that future for himself, but evidently, he’ll have to wait another year before getting a chance to shine as a starting quarterback again. Who knows, maybe the Vikings will come calling in free agency with Jones entering a contract year. If he was interested in becoming a Viking in 2026, chances are his feelings won’t change heading into 2027 either.
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