With Mykell Williams still on the PUP list and Alfred Collins out for the year, the San Francisco 49ers may not have much choice but to explore the open market for help up front. The pass-rushing group has been rocked by enough uncertainty that adding another edge defender looks like a real possibility as the season moves on.
The Athletic’s Matt Barrows laid out four names the 49ers could chase, with each option tied to a different kind of need. Leonard Floyd, Haason Reddick, Joey Bosa and former 49ers edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos were the players he identified as possible fits for San Francisco.
If the 49ers want someone they can plug in right away, Floyd stands out as the most straightforward answer. He’s familiar to both the front office and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who coached him in Atlanta in 2025.
Floyd also spent time in San Francisco in 2024. He’s 34 now and finished with 3.5 sacks for Morris’ Falcons last season, but Barrows noted that the 49ers are hardly in a position to be picky.
Their own sack leader in 2025 had just four.
Reddick is the more natural fit if the 49ers are searching for a lighter edge presence, or if they simply want more from Romello Height’s spot. Barrows pointed to Reddick as a player who has operated in systems similar to what Morris is putting together this season, making him a better match than a bulkier pass-rusher. Reddick, 31, played 13 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025 and finished with 2.5 sacks in Todd Bowles’ defense.
Joey Bosa is the kind of name that keeps surfacing as long as he’s still technically available. Nick Bosa’s older brother brings obvious familiarity, but durability remains the issue over a full 17-game season.
Still, if the 49ers were willing to use him in a shorter window, Barrows suggested it could make sense. Bosa had five sacks and 54 quarterback pressures for the Buffalo Bills last season, production that isn’t elite but would still be an upgrade over what San Francisco is getting opposite Nick right now.
Gross-Matos offers another familiar path. He spent the last two seasons with the 49ers before a knee problem cut into his snaps and practice time.
Even so, when he was able to get on the field, he was productive. Gross-Matos posted a 16.3 percent pass-rush win rate last season, second on the team behind only Nick Bosa’s 20 percent mark.
None of the four options would require a major financial commitment, and all of them would help patch the depth issue the 49ers are dealing with along the defensive line.
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Instead, the first game left plenty to sort through. Height came away without a tackle or pressure on 18 pass rush attempts, a quiet opening night for a player expected to bring more immediate polish because of his age and college experience. For a 49ers defense that leans on steady production up front, the bigger question now is how quickly he can turn opportunity into impact. [Read more 🡒]