The San Francisco 49ers are understandably on the hunt for pass-rushers this offseason after watching Nick Bosa go down with a torn ACL last year and subsequently ending the season with a league-low 20 sacks.
One of the names commonly circled is soon-to-be ex-Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Understandably, this would be the "top get" of free agency signings for general manager John Lynch and Co. Even though Hendrickson endured a banged-up 2025 campaign that limited him to just four sacks over seven games, it's impossible to ignore his back-to-back 17.5-sack efforts in 2023 and 2024.
And that's what teams like the Niners are banking on when targeting him.
According to The Athletic's Matt Barrows (h/t 49ers Webzone), San Francisco is "monitoring" the situation with Hendrickson. That's not a bad approach.
But, the 49ers may be wiser if they pass on making Hendrickson a priority altogether.
Why 49ers should pass on pursuing Trey Hendrickson
Granted, all of this comes down to money, guarantees and contract length. But even those factors are starting to stack up against the Niners' favor.
Nearly every top free-agent list has Hendrickson at No. 1, meaning San Francisco can cross off the distant hope of getting a bargain. The four-time Pro Bowler will have plenty of suitors on the open market, many of which have significantly more cap space than Lynch and the 49ers.
Teams typically don't dish out top-dollar contracts for two elite pass-rushers, and the Niners already committed big money to Bosa, previously. And with quarterback Brock Purdy's hefty contract beginning to hit the books in 2026, it's hard to grasp the idea of San Francisco wanting to approach resetting the market for top-end players at premium positions.
And there are plenty of signs Hendrickson wants to command that kind of money. At 31 years old, he's likely aware this is the last major opportunity he'll have to secure a massive contract.
Speaking of his age, it'd be a risky proposition anyway for the 49ers to commit such money to a player who could suddenly hit the downside of his career, particularly a year removed from serious injuries.
While there's a real possibility Hendrickson bounces back to his 2023 or 2024 forms, there's just as good a chance the pass-rusher's prime days are behind him.
And with the Niners conscientious of both injury and age concerns, combined with the market he'll assuredly have, it'd be best if San Francisco simply lets another team assume the risks.