The 49ers could have an 11th-hour surge of activity leading up to the 2025 NFL trade deadline. If so, we’ve got you covered here.
When he last spoke to the media, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said “nothing was imminent” when it came to making moves at the 2025 NFL trade deadline.
However, Lynch left the door open for a potential deal to go down prior to the Tuesday cutoff point.
In previous seasons, Lynch has executed deadline moves that included quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (2017), wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (2019), defensive end Charles Omenihu (2021) and running back Christian McCaffrey (2022), among others.
Now, at 4-4 and with no one running away with the NFC West, the Niners likely fall into the buyers category, willing to send off future draft capital in exchange for roster-boosting talent as their Super Bowl window strains to stay open.
Given the complex nature of pulling off a trade, though, Lynch and Co. may expend plenty of effort to pull off a deal for a player on the trade block, only to see that player land somewhere else to a team that offered a better package in exchange.
This might have been the case for now-Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who found himself moved from the Carolina Panthers. Whether or not San Francisco had serious interest in Johnson is anyone’s guess, but it no longer matters in the wake of the wideout off to Baltimore.
Still, there are plenty of other rumors and reports that’ll fluff up the news between now and Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Here’s what we know.
The 49ers need defensive line help, particularly after losing Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to a serious triceps injury.
A reunion with former Niners star DeForest Buckner is reportedly something San Francisco discussed, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, and it’d be hard to argue the potential of the now-Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowler coming back to the Bay Area.
However, Russini since reported Indy is not entertaining any trade offers for Buckner at this point despite falling to 4-5 over the Week 9 weekend.
It looks like the 49ers will have to seek help elsewhere if they want to address their D-line.
49ers potentially have a fallback trade target in Davon Godchaux
Russini linked the Niners to another defensive lineman, the New England Patriots’ Davon Godchaux, who could be on the move amid the Pats’ own abysmal 2-7 start.
Godchaux, who has just 5.5 sacks over his eight-year career, isn’t going to move the needle when it comes to San Francisco’s pass rush. But, for a potential late-round draft pick heading back to New England, the soon-to-be 30-year-old defender could boost the 49ers’ run defense while beefing up what’s turned into a thin D-line rotation.
The Niners anticipate getting reserve defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos back from the knee injury he suffered late in the preseason. Since then, though, they’ve largely relied on a three-man rotation between Nick Bosa, Leonard Floyd and the surprising Sam Okuayinonu.
Still, the pass rush has generally lacked this season, and it could stand for some reinforcement anyway, which is probably why New York Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari has been floated around as a potential trade target amid his six sacks thus far in 2024.
The Draft Network’s Justin Melo suggested San Francisco as a potential suitor while also noting how the G-Men are “committed to Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux as their long-term starters.”
Unfortunately for the 49ers, two other conference rivals could be on the Ojulari sweepstakes: the Arizona Cardinals and the Detroit Lions, the latter having lost star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson for the season.
The window to trade players ends on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET.
