The 49ers are back on track with Nick Bosa returning to the lineup, but the pass rush still has room to grow - and one big name keeps surfacing as a possible fix.
San Francisco enters Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders as the NFC’s top-ranked team, even though it has spent most of the season without its best edge threat. Bosa is set to play after missing the last five games with a calf strain, and that news arrives less than two weeks after general manager John Lynch brought DeForest Buckner back from the Indianapolis Colts for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Even with those moves, the front still needs another jolt.
The 49ers are sitting 19th in ESPN’s pass-rush win-rate and have produced pressure on just 23% of snaps when rushing four. Their most recent outing before the bye was especially quiet up front, with San Francisco getting to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. only three times on 34 drop-backs in a 29-20 loss.
That’s why another addition before the Nov. 10 trade deadline feels very much in play. Fox Sports’ Eric D. Williams projected the 49ers will make one more move and chase Khalil Mack for the stretch run.
“A team like the San Francisco 49ers will make a play for (Khalil) Mack,” he wrote. “Even with the potential return of Nick Bosa from a calf injury, San Francisco could use more pass-rush help and is in position to chase a Super Bowl.
“Also, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has experience with plugging elite pass-rushers into his system midseason. He executed a similar situation when the Los Angeles Rams traded for Von Miller and won the Super Bowl after the 2021 season.”
Mack’s name is not new around San Francisco. Lynch said on KNBR that tight end George Kittle asked him last month whether the team was trying to trade for the nine-time Pro Bowler.
The 49ers’ interest in Mack stretches back to 2018, when Lynch said the team made a serious push to land him before the then-Oakland Raiders dealt him to the Chicago Bears.
Mack, now 35, is no longer putting up the same numbers as his 17-sack season in 2023, but he’s still been productive for the 0-7 Chargers. He has three sacks, five tackles for loss and six QB hits in seven games while playing on a one-year, $18 million contract. He is also set to become a free agent in March, which makes him a clean rental for a contender.
Still, there’s a wrinkle. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that the Chargers are continuing to tell teams Mack will not be traded before Tuesday’s deadline.
In Other News...
49ers Suddenly Face A Brandon Aiyuk Decision They Can't Delay
Brandon Aiyuks path back to the NFL is suddenly pressing on multiple fronts, and the 49ers are right in the middle of it. After nearly two years away because of injury and contract issues, the receiver has met with San Francisco and hired an agent as he works toward reinstatement, leaving the team to sort through a situation that has lingered far too long for comfort.
The 49ers now have to decide whether to release him, trade him or keep him on the roster, with the trade deadline drawing closer and outside interest beginning to surface. For a team that has already dealt with enough uncertainty around Aiyuk, the next move could shape both its receiver room and the way this standoff finally gets resolved. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Raiders Clash Suddenly Has Real Maxx Crosby Stakes
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For the 49ers, Crosby is the kind of player who can change the conversation around a deadline if the situation ever becomes real. A strong showing by San Francisco against Las Vegas would only sharpen the question of whether the Raiders might be more willing to listen, even if the path to a deal is complicated. For now, it is one of those late-season storylines that sits in the background of a regular-season game, with the result potentially carrying more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Game Day Changes Could Open The Door Against Raiders
The 49ers head into game day with a few moving parts that could matter on both sides of the ball, starting up front where their defensive line has a chance to tilt the matchup in a way the Raiders have struggled to handle. The broader discussion around San Francisco centers on whether that group can create the kind of disruptive, game-wrecking presence that changes protection plans and forces an offense to play on edge.
There is also some roster movement that adds another layer to the afternoon, with the receiving corps getting a boost and depth being adjusted behind it. For a 49ers offense that will be looking to stress a Raiders defense already under the microscope, those changes could shape how the game is attacked early and how much flexibility San Francisco has if the script starts to shift. [Read more 🡒]