Perhaps it’s the only way to get a deal done.

The NFL world got a bit of a shock on Tuesday night as it came out that the Baltimore Ravens were backing out of the deal they had with the Las Vegas Raiders for edge rusher Maxx Crosby.

The San Francisco 49ers can now get back in the Crosby sweepstakes, but it may take a trade Niners fans would hate to get it done.

Baltimore had agreed to send two first-round picks to Las Vegas in exchange for Crosby, but a failed physical rendered that deal null and void. Now, Crosby is still with the Raiders, but it is hard to imagine Vegas asking the same price considering there are health concerns surrounding him.

The 49ers have been given a second life now in Crosby talks, and it may be their last chance to land an elite edge rusher this offseason. The Ravens wasted no time by pivoting to free agent Trey Hendrickson, and Jaelan Phillips is already off the board, as he inked a massive deal with the Carolina Panthers.

Crosby may be San Francisco’s last hope, but in order for the Niners to get him, they may have to give up left tackle Trent Williams.

49ers can swing a Maxx Crosby trade by using Trent Williams

Sure, the 49ers could part with draft picks, but there are teams with better draft capital who could put together more enticing trade packages. San Francisco has a future Hall of Fame offensive lineman with whom it’s currently struggling to work out a contract.

Perhaps the Raiders and Niners could solve each other’s problems in a one-for-one, Williams-for-Crosby deal.

San Francisco would get a five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher to pair with Nick Bosa. That could give the 49ers the pass rush they have been dreaming of for years. Plus, even if there are injury concerns with Crosby, they still have 2025 rookie Mykel Williams, so Crosby would not have to be an every-down pass-rusher necessarily, if they wanted to be cautious.

Las Vegas would get Williams, arguably one of the best left tackles the game has ever seen. He would be the perfect guy to protect rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the guy pretty much everyone thinks the Raiders will select with the No. 1 pick of the NFL Draft next month.

So many highly touted rookie quarterbacks come into the league and play on a bad team with a porous offensive line. They get beat up and develop bad habits, and it ends up ruining their development. Giving Mendoza the protection that Williams would provide could be the whole difference between whether he is a bust or has success.

Obviously, 49ers fans would hate this deal because Williams has become a beloved force in the Bay Area for years. Losing him would create a gaping hole at left tackle that San Francisco would struggle to fill.

But maybe, that’s worth it to finally get a decent pass rush on defense by acquiring Crosby.