The San Francisco 49ers had been loosely linked to veteran defensive end Trey Hendrickson as NFL free agency approached. After all, bolstering the pass rush was viewed as a priority for the Niners, who recorded an NFL-low 20 sacks in 2025.
The Baltimore Ravens' decision to back out of a trade for Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby ultimately reshaped the market. With a sudden need for edge help, Baltimore pivoted and signed Hendrickson to a reported four-year, $112 million deal that could reach $120 million with incentives.
That price likely exceeded what the 49ers would have been willing to spend on the 31-year-old defender, even if Hendrickson was arguably the top pass rusher available in free agency.
Still, San Francisco had reportedly been monitoring the situation, potentially prepared to act if Hendrickson's market didn't develop as strongly as expected. Instead, the Ravens quickly stepped in and secured the veteran after nixing the Crosby trade. Baltimore's move reportedly prevented Hendrickson from finalizing a deal with the Indianapolis Colts.
"As far as Trey Hendrickson, they (the 49ers) are going to be one of the teams that at the very least is in the conversation, they're monitoring the situation," Matt Barrows of The Athletic said ahead of free agency. "... he's only a year removed from leading the league in sacks, his market will be pretty good."
With Hendrickson now off the board, the 49ers will likely continue searching for more cost-effective ways to upgrade their pass rush through free agency or the 2026 NFL Draft.
The New Orleans Saints originally selected Hendrickson out of Florida Atlantic in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In 117 career games (88 starts) with the Saints and Cincinnati Bengals, Hendrickson has recorded 236 tackles, 81 sacks, 16 passes defensed, and 15 forced fumbles.
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