The San Francisco 49ers are in desperate need of any sort of pass rush. The team has struggled to put any sort of meaningful and consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks since Nick Bosa tore his ACL, and time is running out to make moves.
The Niners made a relatively minor move recently by acquiring Keion White from the New England Patriots, but there is certainly more they could do to try and add some firepower on defense.
The biggest firepower out there would be Cleveland Browns star edge rusher Myles Garrett. He has been the best edge in all of football over the last six seasons, and his open frustration with his situation in Cleveland could lead one to dream of a scenario in which San Francisco is able to land him in a trade.
Garrett recorded five sacks in a losing effort against the Patriots in Week 8. He now has 10 sacks on the season and is continuing to prove that he is the best edge rusher in the game.
However, he was open about how frustrated he is that his team continues to lose despite his efforts, saying he would trade the entire performance if it meant the team got a win.
Before the season began, Garrett requested a trade from Cleveland. It seemed like the Niners could make a play for him then, and there was no shortage of ideas for how they could get it done. Ultimately, he ended up signing a lucrative deal to remain with the Browns.
However, with his new deal, Cleveland would be foolish to trade him this year. If they did, it would trigger a $68 million dead cap hit for the 2026 season.
No team would be willing to do that no matter what the return is.
Plus, the Niners are probably not keen on paying Garrett's salary going forward as their whole goal in the offseason was to try to cut costs and save money where they could in preparation for quarterback Brock Purdy's big contract.
Garrett would obviously be a huge get for the Niners and could potentially even save their season, but it just does not seem feasible for either team at this time.
San Francisco can still turn its eyes to other options out there. Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals, Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants, and Bradley Chubb of the Miami Dolphins are all potential targets.
Or maybe the Niners are done after the modest addition of White. That would frustrate many fans, but for those expecting more do not count on a trade for Garrett.