Trey Hendrickson Linked to 49ers Trade by NFL Insider After Nick Bosa's Knee Injury

Amid a 4-1 start to the season despite having a roster decimated by injuries, including losing Nick Bosa to a torn ACL, the San Francisco 49ers could pursue a star-level pass-rusher prior to the trade deadline.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini noted she would "expect" the 49ers will call the Cincinnati Bengals about Trey Hendrickson as they scour the NFL to find help at defensive end.

Bosa's season ended in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals when his right leg planted awkwardly on a pass-rush snap in the first quarter. The team announced the following day that he tore his ACL.

San Francisco's ability to get after the opposing quarterback has been a problem without Bosa. He is still tied for the team lead in tackles for loss and ranks second in quarterback hits and sacks, despite missing each of the past two games and the final three quarters against the Cardinals.

The 49ers' pass defense has collapsed without Bosa on the field.

Despite the struggles on that side of the ball, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh told reporters on Thursday they aren't going to "panic" at this point.

One reason it's easy for the 49ers not to enter a full-blown panic is their 4-1 record. They are also coming off a crucial 26-23 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5, giving them wins over each of their three NFC West rivals already.

Appearing on KNBR Radio this week (h/t Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area), 49ers general manager John Lynch said he has had "a lot of good and productive" conversations when asked about potentially trading for a pass-rush help.

The Bengals' season seems to be teetering on the edge with three straight losses since a 2-0 start.

Jake Browning's struggles since taking over for Joe Burrow, who could be out until at least mid-December after undergoing toe surgery, prompted the Bengals to trade for Joe Flacco this week.

Flacco is immediately being inserted as Cincinnati's starting quarterback going into Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers.

If the Bengals don't turn things around, Hendrickson could become the biggest name available prior to the trade deadline. It seems unlikely he will be with the team in 2026 given the contract dispute they had in the offseason before he signed a revised deal that pays him $30 million this season and letting him become a free agent in the offseason.

Despite all of the struggles for the Bengals on both sides of the ball, Hendrickson remains a disruptive force on the defensive line. He ranks 12th among all EDGE players in ESPN's pass-rush win rate, along with eight quarterback hits and four sacks.

There's still time before the trade deadline on Nov. 4 for the Bengals to turn things around, but every contending team will almost certainly be keeping an eye on Hendrickson's status.

The 49ers might be the club that ends up needing him the most given the current state of their roster if they can maintain this hot start going forward.