The San Francisco 49ers are once again in the middle of a season that has been significantly impacted by injuries. Losing top players on both sides of the ball like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, George Kittle and Brock Purdy, as well as several others, San Francisco has had to truly embrace the next-man-up mentality.
The Niners have been doing just fine with that approach, as they are currently tied for the NFC West lead with a 4-2 record.
Since the team is still competitive, despite losing key players — some for the season — the trade deadline could get interesting for San Francisco. Of course, the 49ers want to remain a contender, so they should be active at the deadline.
According to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, San Francisco is hoping to pull off a huge move. In a recent ESPN piece, Fowler reported the 49ers have been scanning the market for pass-rush options, and the team actually considers Cincinnati Bengals star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson as an ideal fit.
49ers consider Trey Hendrickson an ideal fit ahead of NFL trade deadline
To be fair, every team probably considers Hendrickson an ideal fit for their defense. The four-time Pro Bowler led the NFL with 17.5 sacks last season, and that was his second year in a row recording that many sacks. Now, in six games this season, Hendrickson has four sacks, 15 tackles, three for a loss, and eight quarterback hits.
After a messy contract saga that lasted all offseason before he ultimately received a raise, the star defensive end is still on the final year on his contract. With the Bengals currently 2-4, starting Joe Flacco because Joe Burrow is expected to be out until later in the season, many people around the league believe Cincy's season is over and the franchise should be sellers at the deadline.
However, both Fowler and Dan Graziano reported that that the Bengals aren’t planning to move Hendrickson.
Of course, things in pro sports can change at the drop of a dime, and the 49ers will be hoping that’s the case.