Perched atop the NFC West division with a strong 4-1 record, the San Francisco 49ers are looking to keep the good times rolling this season. Thus, San Francisco has been actively looking for ways to improve on the open market.
John Lynch, the general manager of the 49ers, recently claimed that he is having “a lot of conversations” about adding an edge rusher to the fold via trade. That’s an area where the team could use some help after losing five-time Pro Bowler Nick Bosa for the season.
GM John Lynch on @knbr on the possibility of the 49ers trading for an edge rusher: "I'm having a lot of conversations, a lot of good and productive ones. … If we find a way to make our football team better and it aligns, then we will not be shy on pulling the trigger."
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) October 9, 2025
Lynch’s comments come not long after Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox predicted San Francisco as a potential suitor for one of the premier edge rushers in all of football, Cincinnati Bengals star Trey Hendrickson.
The 30-year-old, whose contract expires after this season, might just be up for grabs via trade if the Bengals fall out of the playoff race.
Hendrickson has the skill set to massively bolster the 49ers at the edge rusher position. Not only has he averaged 12 sacks per 17 games across his pro career, but he’s fresh off ranking tops in the whole league in sacks. He racked up 17.5 of them across 17 starts with the Bengals in the 2024 season and finished in second place for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
However, acquiring a player of Hendrickson’s ilk would likely come at a pretty penny for the 49ers. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported in August that the Bengals’ asking price for Hendrickson was a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft along with a youthful defensive player.
For the 49ers, Lynch might’ve implied that a trade for a huge name shouldn’t be counted on.
“You’re not going to find a player that’s going to replace Nick Bosa, but can you find someone that makes the group better so we’re collectively better?” Lynch said.
If the 49ers were to make a trade for someone like Hendrickson, that would send a loud message to its fans that the team intends to seriously compete for a Super Bowl, but a trade that big may not be necessary for San Francisco to end up in the title mix.
A Super Bowl ring for the 49ers would mark the team’s first since all the way back in the year 1995. None other than Steve Young was the 49ers’ signal-caller during their Super Bowl win that year.
