The San Francisco 49ers pulled off their fifth victory of the season and fourth with backup quarterback Mac Jones by beating the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football. Being plagued with multiple injuries up and down their roster has not stopped head coach Kyle Shanahan from leading his team to the top of the NFC West.
So far, San Francisco has only lost to teams from Florida this season: the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Next up is a team they do not face all too often but has a few faces that the 49ers recognize.
Former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is in his third season as the head coach of the Houston Texans.
Ryans is joined by another former familiar name in Azeez Al-Shaair. Once a linebacker for the Niners, Al-Shaair was signed by Houston before the 2024 season.
Taking a look at the Texans' roster, aside from potentially targeting Al-Shaair, San Francisco could be enticed to inquiry about these three players.
1. Derek Barnett, Defensive End
In his first season in the NFL, Derek Barnett and the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LII against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. As a rookie, the linebacker recorded five sacks and only missed one game.
Barnett followed that up with a shortened season of just six games. He was traded to the Texans before the Eagles made another Super Bowl.
Just like his rookie season, Barnett only missed one game and logged five sacks. He won't turn age 30 until next summer but could fill in for the rest of this season with Nick Bosa being out.
Barnett is playing on a one-year deal worth $4 million, including bonuses. A free agent after this season, the former Eagles defensive end could be a worthy rental for the 49ers' defense.
2. Jake Hansen, Linebacker
After playing for the University of Illinois, Jake Hansen has been in the NFL for four seasons, all of which have been with the Texans since 2022.
The 27-year-old linebacker isn't filling up the stat sheet too much as he has just two sacks in his career. However, adding a youthful talent at the linebacker position would benefit San Francisco.
Fred Warner went down shortly after Bosa did. With both defensive stars out for the 49ers, a trade is almost imminent. With Houston's secondary banged up (including injured former 49er Jimmie Ward), the Texans would part with players up front on defense as opposed to ones that play safety or cornerback.
3. Braxton Berrios, Wide Receiver
Originally drafted by the New England Patriots in 2018, Berrios played four seasons with the New York Jets before traveling south to play for another AFC East team, the Miami Dolphins.
Though he hasn't taken a snap for the Texans in 2025, Barrios is a veteran who plays a position that the Ninershave seen too many injuries to. Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, and more have all missed time or played hurt this season for San Francisco.
Adding Berrios adds another athlete for depth purposes. After all, the 49ers are benefiting from more than one former Patriot on offense this year.