For weeks now, the San Francisco 49ers have been linked to an established defensive talent in the AFC to replace defensive end Nick Bosa, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury last month.
As general manager John Lynch was rumored to be looking for a player to fill the void with Bosa out, speculation surrounded the quarterback-hungry Cincinnati Bengals in the wake of Joe Burrow suffering a serious turf-toe injury weeks ago and is still expected to miss many more.
While a deal involving Niners backup quarterback Mac Jones and Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson never materialized, it was nevertheless a potential starting point for would-be discussions between Cincy and San Francisco.
It may never happen now after the latest NFL trade.
The #Bengals are trading for Joe Flacco, per me and @TomPelissero
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 7, 2025
Veteran Joe Flacco is departing the Cleveland Browns for the Bengals now.
Bengals' trade for Joe Flacco likely closes door on 49ers' hopes
Jones is a player who has been discussed among NFL teams as a trade candidate. The backup quarterback has done his part in keeping San Francisco's own season afloat. But, once starting quarterback Brock Purdy returns from his own toe injury, Jones becomes something of a high-profile excess commodity.
The former New England Patriot quarterback has thrown six touchdowns and one pick. Jones has also racked up over 900 passing yards in just three games for the 49ers so far this season.
However, the Bengals went with a different quarterback in a deal to improve their season. As Jake Browning's QB2 struggles for Cincinnati continued to amass, the 2021 AFC Champions have lost three straight games as of late.
Flacco returned to Cleveland last offseason and was also part of the 2023 roster that went 11-6 and an impressive 8-1 at home. That includes the victory over Purdy and the Niners, too.
Instead of making a deal out west with San Francisco, Cincy elected to trade with the Browns. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported "Cincinnati will also receive a sixth-round draft pick while Cleveland landed a fifth-round pick in the trade."
Hendrickson, who would have likely been the 49ers' biggest target at the deadline with Jones as a crucial bargaining chip, already has four sacks and a forced fumble in 2025. He has 81 total sacks for his career entering Week 6.
The 30-year-old defensive end is among the NFL's most durable, as Hendrickson has missed just three games since 2021. Right now, the Niners could use a durable player (or more) to stay healthy and competitive in the NFC.
Barring a late pivot from Flacco over the next month leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline, San Francisco's hopes of using Jones as a trade chip to acquire Hendrickson appear dead in the water.