News Article
Published
Oct 14, 2026 at 06:21 PM EDT
The San Francisco 49ers have had arguably the worst injury luck of any team in the NFL this season.
More than 15 players are currently on the reserve/injured list while a handful of others are expected to miss some time with their respective ailments.
San Francisco’s defense has been hit particularly hard, and star edge-rusher Nick Bosa’s absence over the last few weeks has been noticeable.
Keion White has done his part to pick up the slack, but the rest of San Francisco’s pass-rush has left much to be desired, which is why Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes the 49ers should make an all-in move to upgrade the position.
Knox recently suggested the 49ers execute a trade with the winless Los Angeles Chargers for Pro Bowl defensive end Khalil Mack.
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“Los Angeles fell to 0-5 on Sunday, while Mack continues to be a legitimate difference-maker,” Knox wrote. “… Mack is playing on a one-year deal and should be interested in playing for a team that could get him his first career playoff win.
“.. Mack should be the top target for any team with Super Bowl aspirations that happens to need help rushing opposing passers. It'll be a fairly significant surprise if he remains in Los Angeles beyond next month's deadline.”
Despite multiple reports indicating the Chargers would want a fifth-round pick in exchange for Mack, Knox suggested it could take at least a conditional 2027 fourth-round pick to get a deal finalized given the demand for strong pass-rushers from contending teams.
Through five games this season, Mack has logged 14 pressures, eight hurries, five tackles for loss, three QB hits, and three sacks with a pass-rush win-rate of 9.5%, according to Pro Football Focus.
Adding that kind of production opposite White would be a big boost for the 49ers in the interim, and once Bosa comes back, it would make SF’s pass-rush all the more dangerous come playoff time.