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The San Francisco 49ers faced a major setback on September 22 when they learned that Nick Bosa tore his ACL and will be out for the season. The news sent shockwaves and many immediately pushed the team to pursue a trade to offset the loss of their star pass rusher.
The name making the biggest rounds is Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Last season, Hendrickson earned All-Pro honors and led the NFL with 17.5 sacks.
On top of that, the Bengals seem set to be without starting quarterback Joe Burrow for about three months. Given that, it’s hard to imagine Cincinnati navigating this stretch successfully with Burrow sidelined—making Hendrickson potentially available if the price is right.
Nonetheless, Matt Barrows of The Athletic doesn’t see San Francisco making a trade for Hendrickson because of the route that the front office decided to take in building this team for this 2025 season.
“Trey Hendrickson is an older, expensive player who turns 31 in December,” Barrows said during an appearance on 95.7 The Game . “[Trading for him] would run counter to everything the 49ers mapped out [for the season] back in January and February…but situations change.”
Can the 49ers Replace Nick Bosa?
After it was announced that Nick Bosa’s 2025 season is finished, ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky noted that while the 49ers have depth on the defensive line, none of the backups match the impact of the 27-year-old star.
“I’d say one of the unanticipated bright spots has been the 49ers’ defense this season with Robert Saleh coming back,” Orlovsky said on the September 22 edition of “NFL Live.”  “They’ve got depth with Mykel Williams, their first-round draft pick, and Bryce Huff, who they acquired from the Eagles—good players, but they’re not Nick.
“Right now, this defense is giving up just 16 points a game, third in the NFL, and about 160 yards passing per game, which is top five. This was a group that was ascending, and it’s one of the reasons the 49ers are 3-0 and in first place. This is an enormous loss for this football team.”
49ers’ Young Players Will Need to Step Up
With Bosa now gone, the 49ers’ defense needed other players to elevate their game and make up for the loss, which they did. After the hard-fought win over their NFC West rival the Arizona Cardinals on September 21, veteran linebacker Fred Warner had high praise for the young players who stepped up when the team needed them.
“I think it speaks to the work that they’ve all put in and their maturity,“ Warner said postgame (h/t NBC Sports Bay Area & California ). “I’ve got to give it to them and the way that they’ve prepared, which has allowed them to come in and be ready for their moments.
“They don’t play like rookies. They’re coming in week in and week out, making these big-time plays, and we’re going to need them to continue to do so.”
San Francisco faces two tough challenges to start life without Bosa this season, going up against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4 and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5.
