The 49ers have already seen what happens when the pass rush gets stripped down by injuries, and it wasn’t pretty. In 2025, San Francisco’s defensive line got battered, and the production cratered with it.
Clelin Ferrell and Bryce Huff each finished with four sacks, which led the team. That’s not the kind of number a contender wants sitting at the top of its sack chart, and it left the 49ers with fewer sacks than Myles Garrett.
That kind of season is why the front line should look a lot better in 2026, even before any extra help arrives. Nick Bosa is back.
The 49ers traded for Osa Odighizuwa. Mykel Williams is returning from injury, and the team is banking on a second-year jump from him.
Romello Height was drafted with situational pass-rush work in mind, at least at the start, while he develops.
Even with those pieces in place, San Francisco still looks one rusher short.
Maybe the old labels are gone now that Robert Saleh is no longer around, but the bigger question is what the “turbo” or “NASCAR” packages will look like under Raheem Morris. Right now, the most likely group would be Bosa, Osa, Mykel, and Height. That’s a good start, but it still feels like a spot where the 49ers should add a veteran who has done this before.
Nick’s brother would be the obvious answer, but there’s word he might be done with football. If that door stays closed, the list of possible additions still has some recognizable names on it: Haason Reddick, Von Miller, Leonard Floyd, Jadeveon Clowney, Bilal Nichols, and Derek Barnett.
A reunion with Yetur Gross-Matos could also make sense. Injuries wrecked his time with the 49ers, but he offers the kind of inside-out versatility that can help in a pass-rush rotation. Floyd, too, could be a fit if he’s interested in coming back to San Francisco and working with Morris again.
If the 49ers are serious about making another Super Bowl run, they can’t just cross their fingers and trust the current group to stay healthy. They need waves of pass rushers. Adding a veteran before training camp would give the defensive line fresh legs and some badly needed experience.
In Other News...
49ers Suddenly Linked To A Brandon Aiyuk Trade With QB Stakes
Brandon Aiyuks situation has only grown murkier for the 49ers, with the receiver not having played since October 2024 and his status around the roster increasingly difficult to ignore. Once viewed as part of the long-term offensive core, he now sits at the center of a conversation that has less to do with production and more to do with whether San Francisco can still count on the relationship at all.
Into that uncertainty comes the kind of speculative trade chatter that tends to follow a disgruntled star, and it comes with quarterback implications attached. Any move built around Aiyuk would force the 49ers to think beyond the receiver room and into their broader quarterback plan, especially with Mac Jones future in San Francisco already pointing toward a short stay and a possible eventual hunt for a starting job elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Safety Battle Already Has One Newcomer On Shaky Ground
The 49ers added Patrick McMorris in late April, giving the safety room another name to sort through as camp approaches, but his path looks narrow from the start. McMorris spent part of 2024 in Miami, where he appeared in six games before moving on to the practice squad circuit, and he arrives in San Francisco with the kind of profile that usually needs a strong summer to stand out.
Instead, the early read is that he has work to do just to stay in the conversation. Questions about his tackling, range and burst have made him a longshot for a regular-season spot, which leaves him fighting for a place in a crowded room that already has more established and higher-upside options. For now, the more realistic outcome appears to be another practice squad stint, unless he can change that evaluation before the 49ers have to trim the roster. [Read more 🡒]
One Under-the-Radar 49ers Addition Could Finally Settle Left Guard
The 49ers spent much of the offseason looking for reliable answers along an offensive line that has been in flux, and the left guard spot is still one of the cleaner training camp battles to watch. Chris Foerster has kept that competition open, with Robert Jones and Bret Toth among the names in the mix, while Toths value may stretch beyond one position since he is also expected to handle backup center duties no matter where he lines up.
For a team trying to make Brock Purdys life easier and keep the offense balanced around its established playmakers, that kind of stability matters as much as flashier additions on either side of the ball. Jones, in particular, has drawn attention as a low-profile pickup with the kind of experience and efficiency that can quietly settle a spot the 49ers have not fully locked down yet, even if the final call is still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]