The San Francisco 49ers fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with their 26-21 loss at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. One of the reasons the Niners may have come up short against the Jags was the absence of Nick Bosa, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Since the injury took place early in the season, the 49ers could spin the wheels on acquiring a promising pass rusher via trade ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
Kayvon Thibodeaux Named a Top Landing Spot for the San Francisco 49ers
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently dropped an updated trade block piece after Sunday’s Week 4 action, which named New York Giants EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux as a potential trade candidate for the Niners.
“Kayvon Thibodeaux was the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft and has shown flashes of elite ability. What’s unknown is whether he has a future in New York with Brian Burns and rookie Abdul Carter also on the roster,” wrote Knox. “If the Giants aren’t overly committed to Thibodeaux, now would be the perfect time to move him. The pivot to Dart at quarterback signals the start of a new era for New York. Moving Thibodeaux could bring back a quality offensive player and/or high draft pick to aid the young quarterback this season or next.”
Thibodeaux is having a great start to the 2025 NFL season with 2.5 sacks and 11 total tackles through the first four games. In addition to the sack production, Thibodeaux has eight hits on opposing quarterbacks this year — which is tied for the third-highest mark in the NFL through the first four games of the season.
The Giants did show signs of life with rookie QB Jaxson Dart under with an upset win over the previously undefeated Los Angeles Chargers, which could make New York a bit more optimistic about getting back into the mix for a Wild Card spot in 2025.
“New York has some talented offensive skill players, but it should look to put as much talent around Dart as it can get,” Knox added. “The demand for Thibodeaux on the trade market should be extremely high. While he’s never quite played up to his draft status, he’s had one double-digit sack season and is still only 24 years old.”
Other Options for the 49ers Approaching the NFL Trade Deadline
Thibodeaux wasn’t the only big-name edge rusher linked to a potential deal with the 49ers this week with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic naming Cincinnati Bengals EDGE Trey Hendrickson as a potential trade option for San Francisco.
âHendrickson doesnât just help their depth,â Kawakami commented about the possibility of Hendrickson becoming a Niner on a recent appearance on 95.7 The Game. âHe lifts up everything. Heâs your closest Bosa replacement. He might be better than Bosa right now. He has 17.5 sacks over the last two years. No one else has done that.â
Hendrickson has been a pass-rushing machine over the last two seasons with 35 total sacks and has two sacks through his first three games of the 2025 NFL season.
The loss of Bosa has the potential to be a catastrophic loss for a 49ers defense that didn’t produce a single sack on Sunday against the Jaguars. Adding Thibodeaux or Hendrickson would be a very welcome addition to this defense that still has Super Bowl aspirations.
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