SAN FRANCISCO DROP A BOMBSHELL: 49ers Hit With Bold Message on Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett

The San Francisco 49ers’ pass rush was one of the league’s biggest disappointments in 2025, managing just 20 sacks all season. With Nick Bosa and first-rounder Mykel Williams both returning from season-ending injuries and Raheem Morris now installed as the new defensive coordinator, the unit is expected to improve. Yet one former NFL pass-rushing star insists the Niners must do something far more aggressive to become elite again.

Speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, former Chargers and Raiders linebacker Shawne Merriman dropped a bombshell: San Francisco should aggressively pursue a blockbuster trade for either Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett or Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.

“If I’m the San Francisco 49ers this offseason, I’m going to take a run at Myles Garrett; I’m taking a run at Maxx Crosby and I’m taking a run at these guys because they’re an instant upgrade,” Merriman said.

Merriman didn’t stop there. He voiced real concern about Nick Bosa’s long-term outlook after multiple injuries, drawing from his own experience as a player who dealt with repeated setbacks.

“Nick Bosa comes back and nobody’s going to know how it is because what, his second or third injury now? I’ve been there, and after enough injuries you’re not the same player. I’m not saying this is going to be the case with him, but there should be some level of concern from the San Francisco 49ers front office on how he’s going to come back.”

Merriman’s blunt assessment lands as a wake-up call for a 49ers organization that has leaned heavily on Bosa as the centerpiece of its pass rush. While Bosa has been dominant when healthy, the history of injuries has created legitimate doubt, and the team’s league-low sack total last season amplified those questions. Adding a proven, high-motor difference-maker like Garrett (a perennial All-Pro) or Crosby (an explosive, disruptive force) would instantly elevate the edge room and ease the pressure on Bosa and the returning Williams.

The comments arrive at a pivotal moment. The 49ers just hired Raheem Morris as defensive coordinator after Robert Saleh departed for the Tennessee Titans head-coaching job. Linebacker Fred Warner, returning as a leader of the defense, sent a clear message to Morris on February 3:

“That we’re ready to work, man… We’re all ready to work, we’re all hungry to get back to being dominant and give ourselves a chance to win a Super Bowl.”

Morris is a familiar and trusted figure for head coach Kyle Shanahan, which insiders say was a key factor in the hire. 49ers reporter Grant Cohn noted that Shanahan prefers working with friends and that the organization avoided other candidates like Gus Bradley, whom many viewed as a potential mismatch.

Still, scheme familiarity and returning players only go so far. Merriman’s message underscores a harsher truth: if the 49ers want their defense to reclaim its place among the league’s best, they may need to swing big in the trade market. Targeting Garrett or Crosby would represent exactly the kind of “home-run” move Merriman advocates—one that could transform a middling pass rush into a dominant force and give San Francisco a legitimate shot at another Super Bowl run.

Whether the front office shares Merriman’s urgency remains to be seen, but his words have certainly turned up the volume on the conversation surrounding the 49ers’ edge needs this offseason.