The San Francisco 49ers were dealt a devastating blow on the defensive side of the ball after defensive end Nick Bosa suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3.
According to reports, Bosa sustained a torn ACL in the win over the Arizona Cardinals, which will obviously end his 2025 campaign.
While the 49ers have solid depth along the edge, there is simply no replacing Bosa, unless San Francisco can pull off a blockbuster trade.
And that's exactly what Kyle Madson of Niners Wire is proposing.
He suggests the Niners make a trade for Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who Madson believes could garner a first-round pick.
The Bengals star held out during training camp before agreeing to an increased salary on the year left on his contract. He's due to be a free agent in the offseason, which would make him a one-year rental for San Francisco, ensuring they're not on the hook for a sizable cap hit down the road. Hendrickson this season has 2.0 sacks, seven tackles and two tackles for loss in three games for the winless Bengals. A big obstacle to acquiring Hendrickson may be the draft capital the Bengals require to trade him. He may be worth a first-round pick depending on the trade market near the deadline.
Hendrickson, who is in the final year of his contract, was the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason as he was holding out for a new contract.
A trade never materialized and while Hendrickson never got the contract extension he was seeking, the Bengals did revise his deal to allow him to make $30 million this season.
Hendrickson is one of the few players in the NFL who could fill Bosa's shoes.
He had the most sacks in the NFL with 17.5 last season, and his 35 sacks between 2023 and 2024 were also the most in the league. Through three games this season, Hendrickson has tallied two sacks and 17 pressures and is well on his way to another elite season.
The problem with this idea is that the Bengals aren't going to trade Hendrickson right now.
Cincinnati is 2-1 to start the season and believes it can weather the storm with Jake Browning in the wake of Joe Burrow's toe injury, which is going to keep him out until December, at least.
However, things could change at the deadline if the Bengals collapse without their star quarterback. In the event that happens, Cincinnati could look to get something for Hendrickson before he potentially leaves in free agency in 2026.
As far as cost is concerned, the Niners would likely have to give up a valuable draft pick, and quite possibly a selection as high as the first round, depending on how many teams get involved in a Hendrickson sweepstakes.
For San Fran to do that, general manager John Lynch has to believe that Hendrickson is the missing piece to a Super Bowl.
After a 3-0 start, it's not crazy to think Lynch would hold that position.
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