Kyle Shanahan might have just revealed the 49ers' trade deadline plans

This is interesting.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There has been plenty of talk about the San Francisco 49ers making a trade at the trade deadline, especially for a pass rusher now that Nick Bosa is gone. While San Francisco is off to a hot start, head coach Kyle Shanahan may have tempered expectations by acknowledging where the team stands. 

Asked Kyle Shanahan if there are similarities between this situation at 4-1 and in 2019 when 49ers made a go-for-it trade for Emmanuel Sanders.

Shanahan said no, this is different because the '19 team was set up with a Super Bowl-level defense and just needed a WR.

— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) October 8, 2025

He is not saying that the 49ers have an elite defense, but rather that this 49ers roster is not just one piece away. With all of the injuries on the roster, it is hard to tell what that one piece would be. 

Why San Francisco 49ers may not buy at the trade deadline

They are a banged-up wide receiver; they could use a left guard, and there are spots on the defensive line and secondary that could use an upgrade. That is not to say that this roster cannot make a Super Bowl run, but rather they are not just looking for one piece.

This makes sense with the 49ers timeline as well. San Francisco is going to think that they can compete anytime Kyle Shanahan has some of the high-end players on his roster. However, a lot of media and fans admitted that this year is more of a reset than a rebuild.

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The team has a lot of high-end contracts hitting the roster. Between Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, and George Kittle, they are starting to see the age of their roster. Brock Purdy is about to have a high salary for the first time. The team needs to keep things tight.

They cannot go on spending sprees because that will mean cutting fan favorites in the future. They cannot waste their draft picks because they are leaning heavily on the youth of their roster. Look at all of the rookies that the team is relying on this season.

They are going to need this draft class to continue, and they are going to need the next draft class to make a similar impact because they will have to continue to make the tough decisions like letting Dre Greenlaw, Jordan Mason, and Aaron Banks leave this offseason. 

If they can get enough high-end starters on rookie salary contracts and they have a few highly paid stars, they have the extra resources that make a trade more feasible. Where San Francisco currently sits, they are best off letting the team develop, taking whatever happens this year as a win, and coming in next year with a young but experienced group that can make a run.