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The San Francisco 49ers have lost two of their defensive leaders—Fred Warner and Nick Bosa—for the rest of the season. Bryce Huff had stepped up in Bosa’s absence, but suffered a hamstring injury late in Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The 49ers could be exploring trade options before the November 4 deadline. Still, any potential move must make sense for both the present and future.
“Of course we want someone to help us out this year, but I’d love it not to be at the expense of our team next year also,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday.
Rumors of blockbuster trade possibilities are already swirling. Trey Wingo recently reported that the Dallas Cowboys have reached out to the Las Vegas Raiders about a potential deal for star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. That raises an intriguing question: if the Raiders were to consider trading Crosby, how many teams would join the pursuit?
Acquiring Crosby, one of the NFL’s premier defensive players, wouldn’t come cheap. The Raiders (2-5), losers of five of their last six, haven’t publicly indicated any interest in moving on from their cornerstone defender. Just this past March, Las Vegas rewarded Crosby with a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension that included a staggering $91.5 million guaranteed. He is signed through the 2029 season.
However, if the Raiders’ struggles continue, they could eventually be open to at least listening to offers.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton named five teams—the 49ers, Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and Washington Commanders—that should be the most aggressive suitors if Crosby becomes available. Moton even outlined what each team might have to give up to land the Pro Bowl edge rusher.
For the 49ers, Moton projects that general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan would need to part with significant draft capital and a key offensive contributor: 2026 first- and fourth-round draft picks, 2027 first- and fifth-round draft picks, and wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
“Why not swing for the fences while older offensive veterans Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey are healthy on a team that’s atop its division?” Moton wrote. “By the way, San Francisco has $23 million in cap space.”
Trading Crosby to the 49ers would also keep him out of the AFC—an added bonus for the Raiders if they decided to make a deal. And for Las Vegas, a player like Jennings could be a helpful addition, provided he can get back to full health.
“Before the start of the season, the 49ers restructured Jennings’ contract,” Moton noted. “Yet once Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall are healthy, he may be the third wide receiver option and fourth pass-catching option if you include George Kittle in San Francisco’s aerial attack.”
While a deal for Maxx Crosby remains purely speculative at this point, the 49ers’ injury situation and available cap space could make them one of the few teams capable of pulling off such a bold move before the deadline. But would the cost be too high?
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