The Cleveland Browns are expected to have a new quarterback in 2026, and many expect it to be a rookie in the draft.
However, NFL insider Zac Jackson of The Athletic expects the Browns to pursue a veteran quarterback through a trade. The Browns insider believes the team will pursue a trade for one-time Pro Bowl quarterback Mac Jones.
“The 49ers will probably trade Jones in February or March. And the Browns will be linked to that potential deal for that many reasons. Mostly that Jones’ current contract calls for a 2026 base salary of just $1.4 million,” Jackson wrote. …
“The potential free agent (and trade) class is uninspiring, to say the least. I can’t see the Browns signing up to be Kyler Murray’s next team. So either the Browns chase the dream with Anthony Richardson, try again with Kenny Pickett (or Joe Flacco, or Winston), or run the wishbone with Trey Lance or Justin Fields. All of a sudden, Mac Jones seems like Josh Allen, doesn’t he?”
Jones was selected 15th overall by the New England Patriots in 2021 and was a Pro Bowler in his rookie season. However, he struggled in his next two years and was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. After one season there, he signed with the 49ers this offseason and has been having a ton of success.
San Francisco could likely get a mid-round pick back for Jones, who has proven he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL again. For the Browns, Jones could also be a stopgap for a rookie to develop and learn the system for a year or two.
Cleveland has stuck with Gabriel at quarterback, despite his struggles this season.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has been adamant that Gabriel is the answer at quarterback and has been impressed with his play. But he knows the rookie, along with the entire team, has to be better.
“Well, I think with young quarterbacks, it’s understanding that there’s going to be ups and downs,” Stefanski said on Monday. “You know, can Dillon play better? Yes, he can. Can we play better around him? Yes, we can. Can we coach him better? Yes, we can. So, I understand the question. But I just trust that our young players at every position, and certainly at the quarterback position, are guys that are going to work their tails off to get better every single day.”
Gabriel is set to start his sixth straight game on Sunday when the Browns host the Baltimore Ravens.
Although Jones has had a big impact on the 49ers’ season, he is likely set to return to a backup role for the rest of the year.
Brock Purdy looks to be healthy and should return this week, which will push Jones to the backup role.
“They told me he is healthy. So I’ll see today with my own eyes when he practices. And I’m sure he’ll look that way,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “As long as he does, then he is good to go.”
With the 49ers giving Purdy a lucrative long-term extension, he is the clear future at quarterback, which is why Jones could be expendable.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
The Denver Broncos might have one of the greatest defenses of all time in 2025. That’s not hyperbole. They have the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in cornerback Patrick Surtain II and the likely next NFL Defensive Player of the Year in edge rusher Nik Bonitto. The Broncos also have a real chance of breaking the NFL’s single season record for team sacks set by the 1984 Chicago Bears.
Winners of 7 consecutive games, the Broncos are now 8-2 with both of their losses coming in the last second of games in the first 3 weeks of the regular season.
The reason the Broncos aren’t undefeated falls almost squarely on the shoulders of second year quarterback Bo Nix, who has seen his sophomore campaign picked apart in the national media.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando put Nix in the category of “Too early to say, but there’s been good with the bad” in his NFL QB tiers alongside Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Sando also points out that the Broncos might have a limited ceiling with Nix under center.
“The Broncos have won seven consecutive games with a mixture of defense and fourth-quarter heroics from Nix and the offense,” Sando wrote on Thursday, November 13.”It’s an unsustainable formula that is temporarily tabling more consequential discussions regarding Nix’s trajectory. The quarterback’s year-over-year efficiency has declined by almost every measure except for sack rate, which was already low. It’s looking like next season will be defining for Nix’s trajectory with the Broncos.”
Nix’s play at the end of his rookie year in 2024 encouraged the Broncos and their fans he could take the momentum of leading the team to the playoffs for the first time in 9 years and spin it forward to 2025. That just hasn’t happened.
While Nix has been spectacular at times — mostly late in games — he’s been a frustrating player to watch the rest of the time.
The biggest problem, if we’re going to single one thing out, has been deep, downfield throws. Nix seems to be lacking the accuracy we’ve seen from other 2024 first round picks like New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
That’s too bad, because his struggles start to reflect poorly on what’s probably an underrated group of wide receivers led by Courtland Sutton and with young talent like second year wide receiver Troy Franklin and rookie Pat Bryant trailing not far behind.
Nix will be playing for big money in 2026, if he isn’t already. That’s when he’s eligible for his first big-time contract extension. Depending on how he plays over the rest of the year and next year, there could be a wild variation to what that amount ends up being.
Right now, Nix would probably be in line for a deal that would probably pay him in the range of $50 million to $60 million per year.
If he continues his current path of regression, it’s not hard to see the Broncos lowballing him along the lines of $30 million to $40 million per year, if not just outright parting ways with him after 2027.