The San Francisco 49ers’ defensive line struggled last season in large part because of a lack of support for star defensive end Nick Bosa.
But some news dropped on Monday that would give them the chance to remove that as an issue in spectacular fashion.
Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett announced that he has officially requested a trade from the Browns.
A four-time first-team All-Pro, Garrett has 102.5 sacks in eight seasons and has double-digit sacks in every season since recording seven as a rookie.
As an NFC team with some premium draft capital in the form of the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft, the 49ers are a team in an excellent situation to try to tempt the Browns off their understandable stance that they do not have any intention to trade Garrett.
Despite a down year in 2024, the 49ers clearly have the talent on both sides of the ball to help Garrett fulfil his desire to compete for Super Bowls and a trade for him, however expensive that may be, would give San Francisco one of the most fearsome edge rushing duos in NFL history.
Both Garrett and Bosa, his predecessor as Defensive Player of the Year, are likely heading to Canton when their respective glittering careers come to a close. Lining up both on the same defensive line would instantly transform San Francisco’s front back into one of the best in the game.
There are obviously other considerations that will go into the 49ers’ decision around whether to make a push for Garrett’s services.
Garrett’s remaining cap hits are $19.7 million in 2025 and $20.3 million in 2026. However, those numbers are chiefly comprised of prorated signing bonuses. In 2023, Cleveland restructured Garrett’s contract, adding five additional void years and converting all of his future salaries into prorated bonuses.
As such, a Garrett trade would see Cleveland take on over $36 million in dead money. While that would be advantageous for the team acquiring him, it is a situation that would likely inflate the price for any team looking to strike a trade. Additionally, Garrett may immediately desire a contract extension.
With the 49ers likely set to hand Brock Purdy a lucrative new deal this offseason, their appetite to hand an extension to a 29-year-old, even one as talented as Garrett, may be low.
On top of that, the 49ers — who are projected to hold 10 picks in this year’s draft — do have a need to get younger and improve their depth at multiple spots after two successive drafts without a first-round pick prior to last year.
Still, the 49ers are a team desperate to get over the hump following last season’s agonizing Super Bowl defeat, and they are not afraid of a home-run swing. It would be costly, and it might have a negative impact on their long-term future, but there’s no doubt John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan will explore finding a way to suddenly have the best edge-rush duo in the NFL by some distance.
