This Free Agent Could Unlock the San Francisco 49ers Pass Rush

The 49ers' pass rush needs a boost.

Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers are expected to prioritize improving their pass rush in free agency this offseason. One player who could emerge as an intriguing fit is former Indianapolis Colts edge rusher Kwity Paye.

Will the San Francisco 49ers pursue Kwity Paye in free agency?

Paye is a former first-round pick set to hit free agency for the first time in his career. He will be just 28 years old heading into the upcoming season, meaning any team that signs him would be getting a player with several prime years still ahead. The challenge for Paye is timing since he is coming off his least productive season at the wrong moment.

Paye recorded four sacks as a rookie, followed by six in 2022, 8.5 in 2023, and eight more in 2024. This past season, however, he fell back to just four sacks. On the surface, that dip hurts his market value, but the underlying performance tells a different story.

Despite the decline in sack totals, Paye remained effective as a pass rusher. He went from 37 pressures with a 13.3 percent pass-rush win rate in 2024 to 38 pressures and a 13.5 percent win rate in 2025. In other words, his level of play stayed consistent; the production simply did not follow.

Paye has always been a run-defense-first edge defender, which makes him an interesting stylistic match for San Francisco. In many ways, he mirrors Mykel Williams. Both are power-based rushers with strong frames who excel at setting the edge and can slide inside on passing downs. The key difference is how Paye was deployed in Indianapolis.

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Colts almost exclusively rushed Paye from the edge, rarely taking advantage of his size, speed, and strength along the interior. San Francisco could unlock more versatility by pairing him with Williams and moving both players around pre-snap. That kind of flexibility could create favorable matchups, confuse protections, and add a more physical, relentless presence to the 49ers’ front.

The biggest hurdle is cost. Spotrac projects Paye to command a three-year, $53.6 million deal, averaging nearly $18 million per year. Paying that type of money for a player coming off a four-sack season would understandably raise concerns about value and process.

Still, the fit is hard to ignore. Paye brings strong run defense, positional versatility, and pass-rush efficiency that does not always show up in the box score. If the 49ers believe they can unlock more production within their scheme or negotiate a deal that reflects both the risk and upside, they should have real interest in Kwity Paye this offseason.