The San Francisco 49ers are an impressive 4-1 heading into Week 6. It's an impressive accomplishment since they've been missing a lot of players due to injury.
George Kittle, Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings have all missed time on offense. Meanwhile, on defense, Nick Bosa is done for the year, and the 49ers are in dire need of pass-rush help.
However, help might have to wait, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network is reporting that, despite the 49ers' intentions of adding a pass rusher, a move might not come soon with the landscape of the pass rusher market.
Why the 49ers might have to wait to add a pass rusher in a trade
Bosa tore his ACL and is done for the year, leaving the 49ers in dire need of pass-rush help. With a 4-1 record despite all of their injuries, there's even more reason to try and swing a deal for a pass rusher to bolster their Super Bowl odds.
But, Rapoport is reporting that, "Pass rushing help might not be immediate, though, as teams with poor records often wait until closer to the deadline to deal a starter."
There are some obvious trade targets, like Miami Dolphins' Bradley Chubb, Tennessee Titans' Arden Key, and Green Bay Packers' Kingsley Enagbare.
However, whether it's any of those three players or some other trade target, the pass rush trade market isn't expected to develop quickly. Instead, the 49ers might have to wait until closer to the trade deadline.
The deadline is less than a month away on Tuesday, November 4th. The deadline comes shortly after Week 9, and before Week 10, leaving four more weeks until the deadline comes around.
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San Francisco, with their clear need for pass rush help, will be one of the more active teams at the deadline, especially with general manager John Lynch expressing an interest in adding a pass rusher in the wake of Bosa's injury.
They won't be the only team looking for edge rusher help, as another top Super Bowl contender in the Philadelphia Eagles, will also be eying the trade market for edge defenders. But both the Eagles and 49ers will likely have to wait until closer to the deadline before adding a pass rusher.
While some trades have already been made, with Joe Flacco going to the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns exchanging veteran cornerbacks with the Jacksonville Jaguars, a pass rusher deal has yet to be made, and isn't likely until later this season.
Bosa's loss is a huge one, but so far, the 49ers have been able to string some impressive performances together with a cast of backups on both sides of the ball.
For now, the 49ers can keep close tabs on the best pass rushers available while trying to stack wins with a depleted defensive front. The 49ers and Lynch will have to be patient as they wait for the pass rusher trade market to develop ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline.
More 49ers News:
- 49ers GM John Lynch comments on potential trade possibilities amid Nick Bosa’s injury
- ‘Those guys go for it every play': 49ers' Fred Warner praises NFC head coach with aggressiveness joke
- Mac Jones’ hot streak puts $265M QB Brock Purdy on the spot, Schefter weighs in
- 49ers could call about trade for 2 NFC edge rushers to replace Nick Bosa after recent rumor