The 49ers’ pass rush has a hole in it, and the timing could hardly be worse.
San Francisco is getting healthier in spots, but the edge group is suddenly short on answers. Mykel Williams has been placed on the PUP, Nick Bosa remains uncertain for Week 1, and Romello Height is also in that questionable mix. With two of the team’s top edge rushers dealing with injury concerns, the need for help was obvious.
That’s what makes Kyle Van Noy such a frustrating miss for the 49ers. Back in May, the veteran edge rusher said he wanted to join former college teammate Fred Warner in San Francisco.
When asked whether there had been back-and-forth between the two sides, he wouldn’t shut the door on it, choosing not to say the idea was dead. At the time, both of the team’s top edge rushers were still recovering from injuries that ended their 2025 season.
Now Van Noy is off the board. He has signed with the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad, which only makes life harder for San Francisco as it looks for short-term help.
Van Noy would have fit the 49ers cleanly as a stopgap. He’s 35, he’s affordable, and he wouldn’t have created any noise in the locker room.
It wouldn’t have been a splashy move, but the 49ers don’t need splash right now. They need someone who can hold the line until Williams comes off the PUP.
Even with PFF grading not treating him kindly, Van Noy still has a chance to matter in the right system. That system, for now, is in Minnesota.
San Francisco still has names to consider, though the market is getting thinner. Haasan Reddick is one possible option to help cover for Williams. His double-digit sack days came in 2023, so the upside is not what it once was, but he did spend the first four years of his career in the NFC West and knows the conference.
Then there’s Joey Bosa. Beyond the obvious family angle, the 31-year-old had five sacks last season in Los Angeles. Pairing him with Nick Bosa would be a draw for fans, and his presence would give the younger defenders some relief.
The 49ers missed on Van Noy, but the search is far from over. For now, the hope is that Mykel Williams only has to miss the required four games. Even if that’s the case, San Francisco would still be wise to add help to the pass rush before then.
In Other News...
49ers Now Face A Bigger Jed York Problem Than The Arrest
Jed Yorks recent legal trouble has already put the 49ers in an awkward spot, but the more immediate concern inside the organization may be what happens around the business side of the franchise if his presence stays limited. General manager John Lynch has said the team is preparing for possible league discipline while football operations continue under executive Al Guido, a setup that keeps the day-to-day work moving even as the owners status hangs over the building.
For now, the 49ers say the locker room and team activities have not been affected, which is the kind of answer clubs tend to give when they want the football to stay separate from everything else. Still, this is not just about the arrest itself. It is about how much of Yorks role can be carried out from a distance, how the league responds, and whether a franchise used to having its owner close at hand can keep functioning smoothly if that becomes the new normal. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Week 1 Could Hinge On A Rams Discipline Decision
The Rams enter their international opener against the 49ers with two notable players still available on paper, even as the league continues to weigh possible discipline. Puka Nacua is facing a civil lawsuit alleging physical assault and battery, and Alaric Jackson remains in the same waiting pattern, with neither player placed on the commissioners exempt list ahead of Week 1.
For San Francisco, the timing matters almost as much as the ruling itself. The NFL has shown before that suspensions can land in early September, but there has been no official announcement yet, leaving the 49ers to prepare for a division game with one more layer of uncertainty than usual. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Australia Plan Could Create A Huge Rams Debate
The 49ers trip to Australia for their 2026 season opener is already shaping up to be more than just a long-haul curiosity. San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams are set to open the NFL regular season in Melbourne on Sept. 10, and the contrast in travel plans has become part of the conversation before either team boards a plane.
The Rams intend to arrive the day before the game and leave immediately afterward, while the 49ers are planning to get there several days early to adjust to the time difference. That difference has prompted some outside debate about which approach is smarter for handling jetlag, with neurologist W. Christopher Winter suggesting the Rams shorter stay could actually be the better way to manage the trip. [Read more 🡒]