49ers insider believes this starter's job is in jeopardy in 2026

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green enters his third NFL season with a target on his back, and it's not just Kyle Shanahan applying pressure. According to NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco, cornerback Jack Jones has quietly become one of the most significant additions of the 49ers' offseason and a legitimate threat to unseat Green as a starter.

>"I remember talking to people during the offseason program around the 49ers, and they were of the opinion that Jack Jones was making a big-time push and could end up being a starter ahead of Renardo Green," Maiocco said. "I don't necessarily think will happen. But it could happen. ... "So, having a veteran player like Jack Jones on the roster and lining up and taking reps at the same spot as Renardo Green and Renardo knowing that he's in a battle or he's going to have to fight for his starting job can only help him."

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>Jones, 28, joins San Francisco after starting all but one game combined over the past two seasons: 16 starts for the Raiders in 2024, then all 17 for the Dolphins in 2025. He's coming off a season with 77 tackles, six passes defensed and an interception in Miami. Green, by comparison, played the entire 2025 season without competition at his spot, finishing with seven passes defensed and no interceptions.

>The numbers, per Pro Football Focus, actually favor Jones. He ranked 67th among 114 qualifying cornerbacks in overall defensive grade last season, with a strong run-defense mark that placed him 15th at the position. Green ranked 93rd overall, with a run-defense grade of 65th.

>Maiocco also doesn't believe Jones signed to play a backup role.

>"He signed with the 49ers with the idea, with the intent that he could be a starter," Maiocco speculated, "and all he has to do is win that job."

>Green has been speculated to be a top trade candidate this offseason as well, and Maiocco pointed to a sideline incident with Shanahan as a reason the cornerback could be under fire to step up in 2026.

>And now with Jones in the building, Green will have to fend off a genuine challenger for his job rather than simply holding a seat he was handed. Whether Jones wins the role outright or Green rises to the challenge, Maiocco believes the competition alone should make San Francisco's cornerback room better in 2026.

>This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers insider believes this starter's job is in jeopardy in 2026