The 49ers are dealing with a number of injuries again this season. Brock Purdy and George Kittle were both hurt early in the season. Nick Bosa tore his ACL. Fred Warner broke his ankle last week. The list goes on.
And yet San Francisco is 4-2, sitting in first place in the NFC West a third of the way through the season. So what can they do to bolster a roster currently headed for the playoffs? Make a trade, of course. And they've got a very big name in mind. It's just that he may be hard to get.
Via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler:
Yes, the 49ers have been scanning the trade market for pass-rush options. I'm told the Niners consider Trey Hendrickson an ideal fit for their defense if the Bengals would part with him for reasonable compensation. But I'm also told Cincinnati has no plans to trade Hendrickson at this time. Despite a 2-4 record, Cincinnati plans to remain all-in on this season, and the offense showed signs of life with Joe Flacco on Sunday in Green Bay.
Dan Graziano also added that he heard the Bengals had no plans to trade Hendrickson, but it's still worth monitoring the team's situation over the next few weeks as the trade deadline approaches. Cincinnati plays the Steelers this week before taking on the even more hapless Jets. Then two days before the deadline they travel to Chicago to play the suddenly frisky Bears.
Depending on Joe Flacco's play, the Bengals could reach the deadline with a record anywhere between 5-4 and 2-7.
Coming off a high-profile holdout where they did consider trading him that ended when Hendrickson signed a one-year deal worth up to $29 million this season, Cincinnati could lose Hendrickson for nothing in the offseason. So while the team currently has no plans to trade their star pass rusher, if it becomes apparent this is a lost season over the next few weeks that should change. And that could be good news for the 49ers.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 49ers Have Splashy Trade Target in Mind Who Will Be Hard to Get.
