Trade deadline inaction looks even worse for 49ers after Nick Bosa injury

The San Francisco 49ers made a bit of a puzzling move by not being all that aggressive at the trade deadline this year.

In light of Nick Bosa’s injury, it makes their decision not to trade for an edge rusher look even worse.

At the trade deadline, it was clear that the Niners could have used a boost on their defense. While the defensive unit was not atrocious, it was clear that they absolutely needed to get more heat on the quarterback. Sure, they had one of the best edge rushers in the game in Nick Bosa and a solid edge rusher opposite him in Leonard Floyd, but there was definitely room for improvement of at the very least some added depth.

Two names that were rumored to be available via trade were edge rusher of the Las Vegas Raiders and , the latter of which was traded to the Detroit Lions. Crosby ended up staying put, but with Bosa now struggling with a hip injury it makes it look foolish that the Niners did not add more depth. 

The Lions had a more pressing need at edge rusher due to Aidan Hutchison’s season-ending injury, but the Niners still could have made a play for Crosby to bolster the defense or some other less expensive edge rusher as an insurance policy in case of injury. 

Now, with Bosa out in Week 12 against the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco’s defense is likely to look even weaker than it has at times this season. With the season already looking like it is lost, this probably does not matter that much, but if the 49ers were actually still a legitimate contender, it would have been a gross oversight by the front office.

Of course, maybe after last year’s trade for Chase Young did not work out as well as planned for the Niners they were a bit afraid to make another splashy trade for an edge rusher for fear it would not pan out. Young was not terrible, but he did not live up to the high expectations Niners fans had when they traded for him.

No matter the reason, the Niners now have a below average pass rush and seem very likely to struggle to get pressure on the quarterback for the rest of the 2024 season.

Read more from Niner Noise