Raiders’ Quarterback Conundrum: Could Mac Jones Be the Answer?
The Las Vegas Raiders thought they had solved their quarterback woes when they traded for Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks during the offseason. The organization showed their commitment by signing Smith to a substantial two-year, $75 million extension following the trade. However, what initially seemed like a promising move has quickly turned into a disappointment, leaving the Raiders once again searching for stability at the most important position in football. Through the first five games of the 2025 NFL season, Smith has struggled mightily, completing 65 percent of his passes for 1,176 yards but throwing more interceptions (nine) than touchdowns (six). Most alarmingly, he currently leads the NFL in interceptions thrown, raising serious questions about whether he can be the solution the Raiders desperately need.
If Smith’s performance doesn’t improve dramatically over the remainder of the season, Las Vegas will likely find themselves back in the quarterback market this offseason. Fortunately for them, there should be several options available for teams seeking quarterback help. One particularly intriguing possibility is Mac Jones, who has experienced a career renaissance with the San Francisco 49ers. After a disappointing end to his tenure with the New England Patriots, Jones signed a modest two-year, $8.4 million contract with San Francisco during free agency. What started as a backup role behind Brock Purdy has turned into an opportunity for Jones to showcase his abilities due to Purdy’s injuries this season.
In his three starts for the 49ers, Jones has demonstrated the poise and efficiency that once made him a first-round draft pick, completing 66.7 percent of his passes for 905 yards with six touchdowns against just one interception. These numbers represent a dramatic improvement over Smith’s performance and hint at the potential Jones still possesses. At only 27 years old, Jones remains young enough to be considered a long-term solution rather than just another stopgap measure. His resurgence with the 49ers suggests that perhaps his struggles in New England were more about the situation than his abilities, making him an attractive option for a team like the Raiders who have cycled through multiple quarterbacks in recent years.
Throughout his five-year NFL career, Jones has appeared in 55 games, amassing 11,495 passing yards with 60 touchdowns and 45 interceptions. While these career numbers show a player who has experienced both highs and lows, his current performance with the 49ers indicates he may have turned a corner under Kyle Shanahan’s quarterback-friendly system. The question becomes whether San Francisco would be willing to part with Jones, who has proven to be valuable insurance behind Purdy, and what the asking price might be. For the Raiders, the cost of acquiring Jones would likely be significantly less than what they invested in Smith, potentially making it a more efficient use of resources while still addressing their quarterback needs.
The Raiders’ inability to find stability at quarterback has been a major factor in their struggles to return to playoff contention. Since their last playoff appearance in 2021, the team has cycled through Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell, and now Geno Smith without finding consistent play at the position. This revolving door approach has hampered the development of the offense and prevented the team from building momentum. While Mac Jones isn’t a guaranteed solution, his recent performance suggests he could provide the competent quarterback play that has eluded the Raiders. His age and contract situation also align well with a team that might be looking to reset without committing enormous resources to the position after the Smith experiment.
Of course, there are no certainties in this scenario. The 49ers may value Jones too highly as Purdy’s backup to consider trading him, particularly if Purdy’s injury concerns persist. Similarly, the Raiders might pursue other options through the draft or free agency depending on how they finish the season. However, the potential fit between Jones and the Raiders is intriguing enough to monitor as the season progresses. For a franchise that has struggled to find consistency at quarterback since the Rich Gannon era, taking a chance on a young player showing signs of revival could be exactly the type of calculated risk worth taking. As the Raiders continue to evaluate their future at the position, Jones’s performances in San Francisco will be worth watching closely for what they might mean for both his future and potentially that of the Silver and Black.
