49ers Trade Proposal Lands Impact EDGE Defender to Fill the Nick Bosa Void

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Potential Bears trade target Carl Granderson.

After it was revealed that Nick Bosa was going to miss the remainder of the 2025 NFL season due to injury, many wondered how the San Francisco 49ers‘ pass rush was going to look with the former All-Pro in the lineup. Unfortunately, the Niners’ worst nightmares were realized when the defense was unable to produce a single sack in their 26-21 loss at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

This has one NFL writer believing the 49ers could be an ideal trade partner for an impact EDGE defender ahead of the trade deadline.

New Orleans Saints EDGE Carl Granderson Named a Top Trade Option for San Francisco 49ers

John Sigler of Saints Wire recently delved into the plethora of players who could be dealt ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline for the winless New Orleans Saints. Carl Granderson was one of those names mentioned in his article, which prompted Sigler to suggest the San Francisco 49ers could be a realistic trade destination for the Wyoming product.

Sigler wrote, “They’re holding on with a 3-1 record, but the San Francisco 49ers could use some help after Nick Bosa’s season-ending injury. The 49ers are tied for the fourth-fewest sacks through four games (with five of them). Just one team, the Carolina Panthers, has a worse pressure rate than San Francisco. Granderson would be a big upgrade for them. And with several compensatory picks coming their way in 2026, the 49ers can afford to overpay a little.

Granderson has never recorded more than 8.5 sacks in a single season, but is on pace for 18 sacks through the first month of the season with 4.5 sacks through his first four games in 2025.

Sigler added, “Granderson restructured his contract this offseason, so any team trading for him would be on the hook for just the minimum salary the rest of the season. He’s also under contract for 2026 and 2027 with manageable base salaries of $10.75 million in each year. That’s well worth the cost of a starting defensive end with 33 career sacks. He’ll turn 30 next year.”

The financial aspect of this acquisition could make sense for the 49ers if they are looking for a potential short-term fix with long-term upside at the EDGE position. Bryce Huff could use a pass-rushing partner with rookie Mykel Williams currently sitting at zero sacks on the season while dealing with a wrist and oblique injury.

The 49ers have pressured the quarterback on just 11.6% of dropbacks this season, which is the second-lowest mark in the league. The injury to Bosa is likely to make that number worse, not better, moving forward.

Other Trade Options the 49ers Could Explore Ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline

After a 2-0 start, the Cincinnati Bengals have looked completely helpless with Jake Browning over the last two contests — which makes Trey Hendrickson potentially worth a phone call from John Lynch.

The finances of Hendrickson feel far less appealing than Granderson, but the elite sack production from the Bengals veteran defender — who has 35 total over the last two full seasons — make him feel like a bit more of a known commodity when giving up future assets to bring in an impact player.

Derek Tate covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Heavy.com from 2022 to 2023. His bylines include Pro Football Network, The Athletic, Dr. Roto, Fantasy Focused and NewsNet. More about Derek Tate