The New York Giants don’t yet know how much time, if any, Jaxson Dart will miss. But his knee injury Monday night created exactly the scenario that could put San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones back into the NFL trade conversation.
Dart injured his left knee on the Giants’ opening possession against the Los Angeles Rams on September 21. He walked off the field and later headed to the locker room, with the Giants initially listing him as questionable to return. Jameis Winston took over at quarterback.
If Dart’s injury proves significant, New York should make a call to San Francisco.
A Heavy trade proposal:
Giants receive: QB Mac Jones
49ers receive: 2027 fourth-round pick that becomes a third-rounder if Jones reaches an agreed-upon playing-time threshold
It would not be a cheap insurance policy. That’s precisely why it would be interesting.
Mac Jones Has Already Proven He Can Keep a Season Alive
Jones isn’t the quarterback New England gave up for a sixth-round pick in 2024.
He rebuilt his value in Kyle Shanahan’s offense last season after Brock Purdy went down. Jones started eight games, went 5-3 and completed 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. His 97.4 passer rating wasn’t merely survivable backup-quarterback production. It was one reason the 49ers stayed in the playoff race while Purdy recovered.
That distinction matters for the Giants.
Winston is already on the roster and would be the simplest answer to a short Dart absence. New York doesn’t need to surrender draft capital because its starter misses a game or two.
An extended absence changes the calculation.
The Giants entered Monday 1-0 after Dart opened the season by becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to begin a season with at least three passing touchdowns, 50 rushing yards and a 130 passer rating, according to the team. This isn’t a club that spent September waiting for the next draft. New York gave Dart Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, Isaiah Likely and an offensive line reinforced by first-round guard Francis Mauigoa.
If the Giants believe this roster can win now, Jones gives them a more compelling bridge than most quarterbacks who would actually be available.
49ers Would Have Every Reason to Make Giants Pay
There is one problem with the idea. San Francisco likes having Mac Jones.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported in February that the 49ers had no plans to trade Jones and intended to bring him back as Purdy’s backup. That stance followed a season that reminded San Francisco exactly why quarterback depth matters.
Jones remains No. 2 behind Purdy on the 49ers’ current depth chart, ahead of Kurtis Rourke. He is also in the final season of the two-year, $7 million contract he signed in 2025.
San Francisco therefore has little incentive to dump him for a late-round lottery ticket.
A conditional fourth-rounder with a path to becoming a third is where the conversation gets more interesting. The 49ers would convert a player who can leave in free agency after the season into meaningful future draft capital. The Giants would avoid paying the full price unless Jones actually had to play extensively.
And Jones would get something he has openly wanted: another opportunity to start.
Dart’s Diagnosis Determines Whether a Trade Makes Sense
This is where the Giants cannot get ahead of the medical report.
Dart walked off the field under his own power Monday. He was initially questionable, not immediately ruled out for an extended period. Until New York knows exactly what happened to his knee, trading anything for another quarterback would be premature.
But the 49ers have spent months holding onto one of the NFL’s more accomplished backup quarterbacks because they understand his value.
A serious Dart injury would give the Giants a reason to test just how firmly they’re holding.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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