The San Francisco 49ers will be without Nick Bosa for at least a few weeks after suffering a calf injury during a warm-up. As a result, the question surrounds the Niners as to whether they’ll eventually pursue another pass rusher who has proven they can get to the QB.
Moreover, even when Bosa returns, the 49ers shouldn’t put all their hopes on him and should get a complementary piece. Nonetheless, that might have to come closer to the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
For now, the Niners will need to survive with what they have, since it’s barely Week 3 and few teams are looking to become sellers and punt on the 2026 season. If the 49ers can make it to the deadline and be a contender, then there are going to be some potentially intriguing options, one of them being the Los Angeles Chargers‘ Khalil Mack.
On the Sept. 25 edition of “Niners Nightly,” KNBR’s Larry Krueger shared a trade outlook on Mack. Krueger noted that Mack’s current contract could be a hurdle: He’s on a one-year deal but has an average salary of $18,000,000, per Spotrac.
“You got Khalil Mack, and the Chargers are 0-2, and if they continue to lose, they could be out of the playoff picture within the minute,” Krueger said.
“I think the Chargers are gonna stink, and they have Khalil Mack, so maybe you could call them and get Khalil Mack. That would be interesting. I think he makes a lot of money.”
It would be interesting to see how much that would cost the Niners, but Mack’s salary is enough for Krueger to question a potential move.
Chargers Predicted to Be Sellers After 0-2 Start
Los Angeles is 0-2 and has a challenging schedule ahead: in Week 3 they face the Buffalo Bills, and then their next game is against the Seattle Seahawks; to make matters worse, both are road games. As a result, the Chargers are staring at a potential 0-4 start.
“They’re on the cusp of just circling the drain,” Krueger added. “I heard [49ers general manager] John Lynch say, ‘Oh, the Chargers are going to get back into the playoff picture.’ Really? I don’t think so. I’d be shocked if the Chargers get back into this playoff picture.
“I’d be shocked. So wait a second, you could beat the Raiders or Arizona, but now you’re going to just dominate all the best teams in the league that are on your schedule? Nah, I don’t think so.”
49ers Insider on Mac Jones Trade Speculation
Speaking of trade speculation, Mac Jones has found himself in the conversation with starters going down in Week 2. However, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco doesn’t see a trade market for the 49ers’ backup. At least not right now, given that these teams might not be willing to part with a Day 2 pick for Jones.
“I think if there’s multiple injuries with one team, then maybe Mac Jones comes into play,” Maiocco said in a Sept. 24 video on his YouTube channel. “But also at that point, if you’re a team that has had multiple injuries to your quarterback position, does it make sense then to trade for a guy, give up draft capital, and know that you’re only renting him for half the season?
“In other words, do you think that you can get over the top with Mac Jones as the quarterback? That’s where I’m skeptical. I don’t think that there’s going to be the market for him to the point where the 49ers would trade Mac Jones.”
49ers Get Clear Outlook on Potential Khalil Mack Trade