The San Francisco 49ers face questions about their pass rush heading into the 2026 NFL season. Last season, the Niners only tallied 20 team sacks, so if they want to go on a deep playoff run, the 49ers have to bolster that number.
Nonetheless, the return of Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams from injury should boost that number. Moreover, the team drafted Romello Height in Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. As a result, the 49ers are hoping this is enough to improve their ability to get to the QB.
While San Francisco could look for a veteran pass rusher in free agency, the Niners could also explore the trade market. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report put together a handful of trade ideas, and one of them is a three-team deal between the 49ers, New York Giants, and Baltimore Ravens.
In Knox’s trade scenario, the 49ers would land the Giants‘ Kayvon Thibodeaux, while the Giants get CB Marlon Humphrey and the Ravens’ 2027 fourth-round pick. As for Baltimore, they would receive the 49ers’ 2027 second-round pick and WR Isaiah Hodgins.
“In this hypothetical scenario, the 49ers pry Thibodeaux away from New York by involving the Baltimore Ravens, the previous employer of Giants head coach John Harbaugh,” Knox wrote in a June 24 article.
“The Ravens are rebuilding under new head coach Jesse Minter, and while they’re presumably hoping for a fast reconstruction, they should still be interested in adding premium draft capital. In this deal, they’d get it by flipping a Day 3 pick and cornerback Marlon Humphrey to the Giants.”
Why the Three-Team Deal Makes Sense for Niners
Moreover, Knox noted why this three-team trade idea would make sense for all three parties.
“Humphrey will turn 30 next month and is entering the final year of his contract, so he may no longer be in Baltimore’s long-term plans. He’d reunite with Harbaugh and fill a notable need for New York through this deal,” Knox added in his article.
“Baltimore would also add Isaiah Hodgins, a receiver who may be without a role in New York but who could compete for a complementary role with the Ravens. The 49ers, meanwhile, would help boost a pass rush that generated 20 sacks last season while providing insurance behind Nick Bosa, who is recovering from a torn ACL.”
San Francisco would be rolling the dice in trading a second-round pick for Thibodeaux. The 25-year-old has yet to replicate his 11.5 sack performance from 2023.
Last season, the edge rusher played 494 snaps for the Giants, resulting in a PFF defensive grade of 66.0. Moreover, he generated 32 total pressures, three sacks, 23 hurries, and six QB hits.
49ers Insider Speculates on the Future of Joey Bosa
As for a veteran free agent, the name of Joey Bosa has been in the speculation conversations. However, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco speculated recently whether the older Bosa wants to play in 2026.
“I still don’t think [the 49ers signing Bosa] is going to happen anytime soon, ” Maiocco said in a June 12 video on his YouTube channel. “In fact, I really don’t think it’s going to happen, period.
“Just the way Nick talked about Joey and how he’s more interested in concentrating on his golf game at this point than he is on playing football, it kind of leads me to believe that an NFL veteran who has made so much money playing this sport, if in late May or early June his mind is more on golf than football, there’s a really good chance that he ends up retiring.
“Of course, if a team comes along with a contract offer that blows the socks off, I’m sure he’ll play. But it certainly sounded to me as if there is a chance, a real chance, that Joey Bosa will retire.”
49ers Get Intriguing Trade Pitch for Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux