As the Nov. 4 trade deadline approaches, the 49ers are weighing their options and evaluating potential trade deadline targets to strengthen a roster hit by injuries to stars like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Brock Purdy. Despite a 5-2 start, San Francisco knows that making the right moves could be the difference in their playoff push.
49ers Trade Deadline Targets: How the Team Could Strike Gold
Injury Woes Put 49ers to the Test
The 49ers have started the 2025 campaign 5-2 despite losing defensive stars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to season-ending injuries. Additionally, starting quarterback Brock Purdy and tight end George Kittle have missed a sizable amount of time.
With Kittle healthy and Purdy and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall close to returning within the next couple of weeks, the 49ers’ offense is starting to look more complete. Purdy, Pearsall, and eventually Brandon Aiyuk’s comeback should help lessen running back Christian McCaffrey’s workload. The All-Pro has been the most significant reason behind the team’s strong start, but given his injury history and the physical toll of his position, the 49ers need to manage his touches carefully to keep him healthy for the rest of the season.
Tough Decisions Looming
Considering the number of veteran starters on the 49ers and the team’s strong start, the best option may be to make targeted trades to ensure a successful season. Guys like Trent Williams, McCaffrey, and Kittle are not getting any younger, so the team cannot afford to waste another year of these players’ careers.
However, it might be unwise for the team to part with numerous future draft picks or valued young players to acquire a player who will not make much of an impact or has no interest in re-signing with the team.
Taking into account the 49ers’ needs and recent history of notable trades such as the acquisitions of McCaffrey in 2022 and Chase Young the next year, the following players make sense to be this year’s midseason trade targets. All of them would fill roster holes left open by injuries or poor performance.
Top 49ers Trade Deadline Targets On Defense
1. Defensive Ends Bradley Chubb and Trey Hendrickson
If the 49ers are serious about making a postseason push, they need to find a substitute for the irreplaceable Nick Bosa. In-house candidates like Bryce Huff and Mykel Williams are holding down the fort.
Yet, imagine how much scarier the team’s defensive line would be if Chubb or Hendrickson, both of whom have four sacks this season, were rushing the quarterback from the opposite side. The 1-6 Miami Dolphins may be more inclined to sell Chubb as the team looks to be staring down a coaching change and roster rebuild. On the other hand, the 3-4 Cincinnati Bengals may want to keep Hendrickson for the rest of the season and then try to re-sign their best pass-rusher in free agency. Both players are currently having success in 4-3 fronts, which aligns with San Francisco’s system under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
2) Linebacker concerns
In the wake of Warner’s season-ending ankle injury, second-year pro Tatum Bethune got the start against the Atlanta Falcons. Bethune accumulated ten tackles, helping his team hold the Falcons’ explosive offense to only 10 points. The 49ers might stick with Bethune, or they could look to trade for someone like Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson to start in his place or as an insurance policy in case of injury. Wilson, in his sixth year, has fallen out of favor with the Bengals, but his consistent NFL production over the past few seasons shows the linebacker would be a big help to whichever team trades for him if his trade request gets honored.
49ers Trade Deadline Targets: Wide Receivers Who Could Improve the Offense
Before the season started, nobody thought the 49ers would have to rely on Kendrick Bourne as their top wide receiver. Unfortunately, that has been the case as Pearsall and Jauan Jennings have been injured and ineffective. The NFL has become a passing-heavy league, meaning that teams will not part with their wide receivers for nothing. One name out there is Jakobi Myers, who publicly requested a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders. Or, the 49ers could reach out about the availability of New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave. Myers would help the team from the slot receiver position, while Olave is more of a vertical, stretch-the-field receiver.
Whether general manager John Lynch and the 49ers pull the trigger on a trade will depend on how they view this season — as a chance to contend now or to preserve the future. Either way, with veterans like Williams, Kittle, and McCaffrey still anchoring the roster, San Francisco’s Super Bowl window remains open. If the 49ers truly want to strike gold, this trade deadline may be their best chance to find it.
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