The San Francisco 49ers have been dealing with an injury to Brock Purdy throughout most of the 2025 season. But in his absence, backup QB Mac Jones has stepped up and played exceptionally well. He’s led the team to a 5-3 record, throwing for 13 TDs to 6 INTs, with a QBR of 64.9.
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At one point, there was real chatter about whether Purdy should start moving forward. But Kyle Shanahan shut down those rumors by naming Purdy the starter against the Atlanta Falcons today. That’s why Jones is now starting to be linked to other teams that could potentially pursue him in the offseason.
After all, several teams could use a quarterback next year. Most notably, the Cleveland Browns, who already have an elite defense, could be just a solid quarterback away from being playoff contenders. Naturally, many believe they will pursue Jones after the season is over.
And NFL analyst Colin Cowherd intensified these links by explaining why Jones to Cleveland would make them a double-digit win team.
“If Mac Jones went to Cleveland, I think Cleveland would be my double-win total team next year,” Cowherd stated on The Herd. “Go look at Cleveland’s roster. Dude, their defense in the NFL at home is significantly better than any other defense in the league, period.”
Despite being 2-7, the Browns are second in the NFL when it comes to yards allowed per game. On paper, their defense is one of the best in the game. The only issue is that, offensively, they are one of the worst.
Former third-rounder Dillon Gabriel has been doing everything he can to look decent with the opportunity he’s been given. The calls for Shedeur Sanders continue to grow, but nobody really believes that he will be able to shoulder the load of the Browns’ offense and lead them to success. Other than that, the team is still awaiting Deshaun Watson to return from an Achilles tear.
With these in mind, it would make plenty of sense for the Browns to pursue Jones this offseason. Given that teams aren’t excited about this upcoming QB draft class, Mac could come right in as the starter for Cleveland, possibly elevating the potential output of guys like Jerry Jeudy, David Njoku, and even Quinshon Judkins.
Who knows if this will actually come to fruition, though. The Browns tend to move in unexpected patterns each offseason. This past one, they traded the second overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars to move back to fifth in a surprising move. So, while a move for Jones may make sense now, GM Andrew Berry might think otherwise in a few months.
