![](\"https:\/\/external-preview.redd.it\/garrett-setting-nfl-sack-record-vs-rodgers-would-be-special-v0-8i5lQiKzgn8ugBjG59fGSBDwADnkh5XwKCo51tfMcQk.jpeg?auto=webp&s=365d1bee9216f017aa3501c3020eb40457e5770c\")
\nMerriman didn\u2019t stop there. He voiced real concern about Nick Bosa\u2019s long-term outlook after multiple injuries, drawing from his own experience as a player who dealt with repeated setbacks.<\/p>\n
SAN FRANCISCO DROP A BOMBSHELL: 49ers Hit With Bold Message on Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett<\/p>\n
The San Francisco 49ers\u2019 pass rush was one of the league\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019m the San Francisco 49ers this offseason, I\u2019m going to take a run at Myles Garrett; I\u2019m taking a run at Maxx Crosby and I\u2019m taking a run at these guys because they\u2019re an instant upgrade,\u201d Merriman said.<\/p>\n
\nMerriman didn\u2019t stop there. He voiced real concern about Nick Bosa\u2019s long-term outlook after multiple injuries, drawing from his own experience as a player who dealt with repeated setbacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cNick Bosa comes back and nobody\u2019s going to know how it is because what, his second or third injury now? I\u2019ve been there, and after enough injuries you\u2019re not the same player. I\u2019m 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\u2019s going to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Merriman\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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:<\/p>\n
\u201cThat we\u2019re ready to work, man\u2026 We\u2019re all ready to work, we\u2019re all hungry to get back to being dominant and give ourselves a chance to win a Super Bowl.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Still, scheme familiarity and returning players only go so far. Merriman\u2019s message underscores a harsher truth: if the 49ers want their defense to reclaim its place among the league\u2019s best, they may need to swing big in the trade market. Targeting Garrett or Crosby would represent exactly the kind of \u201chome-run\u201d move Merriman advocates\u2014one that could transform a middling pass rush into a dominant force and give San Francisco a legitimate shot at another Super Bowl run.<\/p>\n
Whether the front office shares Merriman\u2019s urgency remains to be seen, but his words have certainly turned up the volume on the conversation surrounding the 49ers\u2019 edge needs this offseason.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SAN FRANCISCO DROP A BOMBSHELL: 49ers Hit With Bold Message on Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett The San Francisco 49ers\u2019 pass rush was one of the league\u2019s biggest… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":132452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n