The San Francisco 49ers have lost defensive end Nick Bosa for the year due to a torn ACL, adding another key player to the list of unfortunate injuries early in their 2025 campaign.
San Francisco’s pass rush was already struggling through the first two weeks of the season before Bosa’s injury, recording sacks on just 6.56% of dropbacks (17th in the NFL), and things have only gotten worse, as they’re down to sacks on just 3.5% of dropbacks (30th).
With that, the 49ers should be looking to add to their pass rush through a trade with the deadline nearing.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano shared the trade rumors and speculation they’re hearing, and they believe it may be tough for San Francisco to pry the top pass rusher on the market away from his current team.
“Yes, the 49ers have been scanning the trade market for pass-rush options,” Fowler wrote. “I’m told the Niners consider Trey Hendrickson an ideal fit for their defense if the Bengals would part with him for reasonable compensation. But I’m also told Cincinnati has no plans to trade Hendrickson at this time. Despite a 2-4 record, Cincinnati plans to remain all-in on this season, and the offense showed signs of life with Joe Flacco on Sunday in Green Bay.”
Graziano echoed similar sentiments.
“I’ve been told the same thing on Hendrickson — that the Bengals don’t intend to trade him,” Graziano wrote. “Let’s see what happens these next couple of weeks. If they lose to the Steelers, Jets and Bears and wake up on trade deadine day with a 2-7 record, maybe they consider it. But if they beat Pittsburgh on Thursday, the Bengals will have reason to believe they can hang in a messy AFC North Division race, especially if they still harbor any hope of a Joe Burrow return.”
Hendrickson, 30, has made four Pro Bowls and has earned All-Pro honors once during his time with the Cincinnati Bengals, and this season, he’s appeared in all four games, recording 15 tackles (three for a loss), eight quarterback hits, four sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defensed.
Bryce Huff, whom the 49ers traded for during the offseason, is the team’s leader in sacks with 3.0. Bosa had 2.0 in the first three weeks before his season ended, while Mykel Williams and Upton Stout both have one. That’s it.
A Hendrickson trade would probably cost a fair return, but he could really help San Francisco’s defense get sacks and force quarterbacks to make quick, poor decisions. It might even help them end their NFL record for the longest interception drought.
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