Nick Bosa’s season-ending knee injury was a huge blow for the San Francisco 49ers.
They lost their best pass rusher and a leader on defense. Without him commanding double teams and making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks, the 49ers’ defense feels much more ordinary and far less intimidating.
Can the Niners rely largely on Bryce Huff and rookie Mykel Williams moving forward? Perhaps. But head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted a trade is also a possibility.
“We’ll look at trades like we always do,” the 49ers coach said on September 22. “But, there’s got to be trade options that make sense for you and another team, but you can’t just do that stuff just to do it.”
If they want to stay near the top of the NFC, Bradley Chubb is one of the few names who could realistically enter the fray via trade.
Chubb Could Help Fill Void Left By Nick Bosa
Since entering the league in 2018, the former No. 5 overall pick for the Broncos has piled up 42.5 sacks in 76 games, including 11 in 2023, when he also tied for the NFL lead with six forced fumbles. So far this year, coming off a significant injury, he already has 3.0 sacks in three games for Miami.
Any hesitation, of course, would come from his injury history. Chubb has already endured a torn ACL in 2019, an ankle surgery in 2021 and a devastating multi-ligament knee injury at the end of 2023 that cost him his entire 2024 campaign. That’s a tough history to ignore.
But given how strong he’s looked so far in 2025, the risk may be worth it for a team that doesn’t have time to play it safe.
Fiscally, this wouldn’t be a move that would cripple the Niners. Thanks to a March restructure, Chubb’s $55 million contract has a 2025 cap hit around $12.4 million, which is manageable. If Miami agreed to eat a portion of that number—as Denver did with Von Miller in 2021—it would make it even easier for San Francisco. Plus, with no guaranteed money left after this season, the 49ers wouldn’t be locked in a long-term deal.
How Much Would a Trade for Bradley Chubb Cost the San Francisco 49ers?
GettyShould the 49ers try to trade for Bradley Chubb as a way to replace Nick Bosa?
What might really push this into play is Miami’s current situation. At 0–3, the Dolphins are staring at the bottom of the AFC East, and teams in that position often start prioritizing future draft picks. They survived 2024 without Chubb and have invested elsewhere on the edge. If the losses keep stacking up, flipping him for picks is possible.
That leads to the question of price. Recent trade deadline comps suggest it won’t come cheap—Montez Sweat fetched a second-rounder, and Chubb’s value might land somewhere around there. We think a fair offer might be:
“You don’t just replace a guy like Nick,” Shanahan said. “When you lose your better players, it gets harder, but I also expect throughout this year all of our players to get better as it goes. That’s stressed even that much more when you lose a great one like Nick. Lots of guys obviously will have to step it up.”
Shanahan’s correct — there’s no such thing as a true replacement for Bosa, but there are ways to keep the defense from unraveling in his absence. Chubb would bring a mix of production and contract flexibility that makes him one an option worth exploring.
49ers Trade Proposal Lands $55 Million Edge to Fill Nick Bosa Void