At 4-1 through five weeks, the San Francisco 49ers are in first place in the NFC West, a game ahead of the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks. That means the playoff push is officially on, and the 49ers will likely be buyers ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline on November 4. The Niners' biggest hole to fill is the one left by All-Pro edge rusher Nick Bosa, who is out for the season with a knee injury, and the rumors are that the Cincinnati Bengals' Trey Hendrickson may be the one to fill that hole.
“San Francisco is canvassing the pass rusher market to fill the void left by Nick Bosa’s injury. I expect them to call Cincinnati about Trey Hendrickson,” The Athletic's Dianna Russini writes.
This potential NFL trade deadline deal between the 49ers and the Bengals would make a ton of sense. The 49ers are one of the best teams in the NFC heading into Week 6, despite injuries to Bosa and quarterback Brock Purdy. On the AFC side, the Bengals are 2-3 after losing quarterback Joe Burrow for an extended time.
Hendrickson has quietly been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL over the last few seasons. The nine-year vet has posted 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons, and led the league with that total in 2024. During the 2025 offseason, though, Hendrickson and the Bengals feuded over a new contract. The defensive end ultimately signed a one-year, $29 million deal to stay in Ohio, but after the contentious negotiations, it's hard to see him staying past this season.
While this is currently only an NFL trade deadline rumor, the deal makes a ton of sense for both teams.
The 49ers get a short-term Nick Bosa replacement and maybe even the long-term pass-rush partner they have been trying to bring in for a long time now—if they can re-sign Trey Hendrickson in the offseason. For the Bengals, they should get a solid return for a player who will likely leave for nothing next summer.
