The San Francisco 49ers desperately need pass-rushing help in advance of the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline.
The free-falling Tennessee Titans may be able to offer some help.
Week 8's loss to the Houston Texans revealed just how problematic coordinator Robert Saleh's pass rush has been this season, particularly in the wake of losing All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa. And while there's hope for rookie linemen like Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins, it's hard to argue with the numbers. Not only did the defense fail to sack quarterback C.J. Stroud, but it only hit him twice.
The Niners' nine sacks to date are second fewest in the league, while their 30 pressures and 10.2 pressure rate both rank dead last.
Yeah, it's bad.
After the loss, head coach Kyle Shanahan hinted at San Francisco's deadline plans not being too aggressive, that is not to jeopardize future seasons by trying to go all-in on a half-season rental.
But, with one reportedly available pass-rusher stuck on Tennessee's roster, the 49ers may be able to solve their biggest concern at a notably cheap price.
49ers can shop Titans fire sale by trading for Arden Key
After firing head coach Brian Callahan, the Titans are fully embracing being sellers at the deadline, evidenced by trading cornerback Roger McCreary to the Los Angeles Rams.
According to NFL insider Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, McCreary isn't the only player on the trade block:
The #Titans have several players available in trade discussions, including DE Arden Key, DL Dre’Mont Jones, RB Tony Pollard, and TE Chig Okonkwo, among others.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 27, 2025
Tennessee has already dealt CBs Jason Brownlee (to the #Jets) and Roger McCreary (to the #Rams). https://t.co/lQFBEGij6h
Defensive end Arden Key is there, too, and he'd be a seamless addition at what'd likely be no more than a day-three draft pick.
From a financial standpoint, the Niners have more than enough cap space to absorb Key's prorated $6.99 post-trade cap hit, and the veteran edge rusher wouldn't exactly have to acclimate much to Saleh's system.
After all, Key experienced a career resurgence during his lone year with San Francisco back in 2021, the season after Saleh departed and left his scheme in place.
Key has just 1.5 sacks on the season, but the 29 year old has 23.5 total over the previous four years.
He might not be the anchor point for a true potent pass rush, but Key would certainly be an upgrade over many of the depth pass-rushers the injury-plagued 49ers have had to rely upon in the wake of Bosa's injury and others.
And it wouldn't cost much at all to pull off.