The San Francisco 49ers did not make an additional trade at the deadline, as many expected. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked whether the season-ending injury to Mykel Williams meant the team would be busy ahead of the deadline. Shanahan did not believe so:
“No, that hasn’t changed anything. I know those guys are working around the clock on just any possibilities and stuff as they do every single year. But no, this happening hasn’t changed anything.”
So, while the 49ers were busy in 2025, making four
trades, a fifth to put a defense that has been lackluster since losing Fred Warner isn’t in the cards.
The team added Keion White, who Shanhan said, “definitely shows a lot of inside rush potential,” but that’ll be the only acquisition. To White’s credit, he performed well during his 49ers debut. Twenty of his 33 snaps came from the inside. Per PFF, White’s win percentage as a pass rusher was the fifth-highest of any edge rusher in Week 9 at 20.5 percent.
Getting Bryce Huff back should solidify one edge-rushing spot. A player like Jermaine Johnson or Bradley Chubb could have helped, which isn’t debatable. Still, the cost was obviously too rich in the 49ers’ eyes, especially with Johnson one year removed from an Achilles injury.
The New York Jets were asking for a second-round pick in return for Johnson, who is under contract for another year and a half. The fact that a trade didn’t happen suggests that New York didn’t budge from their initial stance. If that’s true, good on the 49ers for keeping the pick.
There were likely alternative offers, such as adding a player to lower the Jets’ asking price. But that player would need to present some kind of value. New York not biting on a trade says all we need to know.
The 49ers are also self-aware. Despite their record, it’s clear that this isn’t going to be the year they make a deep playoff run. In 2023, the Niners’ injury luck was pristine. It’s no coincidence that was the season they looked the best under Kyle Shanahan.
It’s been the opposite this season. Every Monday, it’s a foregone conclusion that there will be a new injury popping up. That doesn’t mean the 49ers won’t remain competitive this season, or even make the playoffs. Standing pat is a sign the Niners knew there weren’t any immediate fixes available, and that the offense was going to be the side of the ball to put them over the top.
Will the 49ers regret not adding another player at the trade deadline? Or are they saying the quiet part out loud about how they feel about the prospects of this team in 2025?
