The San Francisco 49ers are facing a major crossroads after losing star linebacker Fred Warner (ankle) for the remainder of the season. Despite sitting at 4-2, their Super Bowl hopes took a significant hit without the heart and soul of their defense.
Before Warner's injury, San Francisco was already exploring pass-rush options following the season-ending ACL injury to defensive end Nick Bosa. Now, the team may need reinforcements at multiple levels of the defense.
One name that continues to surface is Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Entering Week 7, the Bengals have dropped four straight games heading into their Thursday night match against the Pittsburgh Steelers. If Cincinnati's season spirals further, Hendrickson could become a trade candidate.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano believe the banged-up 49ers consider Hendrickson an "ideal fit" for their defense—if the Bengals are willing to listen.
"Yes, the 49ers have been scanning the trade market for pass-rush options," Fowler reported. "I'm told the Niners consider Trey Hendrickson an ideal fit for their defense if the Bengals would part with him for reasonable compensation. But I'm also told Cincinnati has no plans to trade Hendrickson at this time. Despite a 2-4 record, Cincinnati plans to remain all-in on this season, and the offense showed signs of life with Joe Flacco on Sunday in Green Bay."
Graziano echoed the same sentiment, noting that timing may be key.
"I've been told the same thing on Hendrickson -- that the Bengals don't intend to trade him," Graziano wrote. "Let's see what happens these next couple of weeks. If they lose to the Steelers, Jets, and Bears and wake up on trade deadline day with a 2-7 record, maybe they consider it. But if they beat Pittsburgh on Thursday, the Bengals will have reason to believe they can hang in a messy AFC North Division race, especially if they still harbor any hope of a Joe Burrow return."
Beyond Hendrickson, Graziano believes the 49ers could also check in on other edge defenders such as Rashan Gary (Packers), Kingsley Enagbare (Packers), Jaelan Phillips (Dolphins), Bradley Chubb (Dolphins), Jermaine Johnson (Jets), Will McDonald IV (Jets), and Arden Key (Titans).
49ers linebacker replacement options
Replacing Warner, however, is a different challenge altogether. Widely regarded as one of the NFL's best linebackers, Warner has no true one-for-one replacement. But with both Bosa and Warner sidelined for the year, the 49ers could look to upgrade across the defense.
"They have plenty of cap space to take on contracts if teams are unloading them," Graziano wrote. "I don't think it needs to be edge help, though that's probably a priority. If the Jets are dealing players, as most people seem to expect they will, could linebacker Quincy Williams (who's playing on the final year of his contract) make sense for San Francisco?"
Fowler pointed out Williams' connection to defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who coached him during their time with the Jets.
"He became an All-Pro under Saleh," Fowler noted. "And sitting at 0-6 feels like a unique window for the Jets to acquire assets for the future."
Another possible target, according to Fowler, is Houston Texans linebacker Christian Harris. For now, though, the 49ers appear ready to roll with rookie Tatum Bethune stepping into Warner's role.