Pursuing Trey Hendrickson Would be a Mistake by the 49ers

Addressing the defensive front is a main goal for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason.

John Lynch acknowledged that at the NFL scouting combine. But he didn’t need to do that. The 49ers were the worst pass-rushing unit in the league in 2025, finishing last in sacks (20).

Yes, Nick Bosa was out. That obviously plays a significant role in it, but it also shows the 49ers how reliant they are on him. They need another impactful pass rusher to keep their pressure alive and to complement Bosa.

One player who can immediately help with that is defensive end Trey Hendrickson. He’s set to become a free agent after the Cincinnati Bengals passed on placing the franchise tag on him.

It’s not too often a dominant pass rusher like Hendrickson is available to sign. The 49ers can be one of his many suitors, and they likely will be. However, pursuing Hendrickson in free agency would be a mistake.

49ers shouldn’t sign Trey Hendrickson

Hendrickson is going to command a strong market. The price to sign him will be high, which is to be expected for a high-level pass rusher—Hendrickson’s projected new contract ranges from $100 million to $120 million.

That’s the cost of doing business with him. But he’s 31 years old, coming off a season plagued by an injury. There’s a lot of risk in investing a lot of money and years with him. Structuring the contract would need to push the money forward.

That way, any team can get out of the deal after the first couple of years should Hendrickson begin to decline. That very well could be a strong possibility after what took place for him in 2025.

That’s a risk the 49ers can’t afford to take. Maybe Hendrickson is still a great player in 2026, but from now on, he’s a player who will be questioned before the season if he can still have an impact.

Then there’s the question of whether his body is beginning to break down. He’s been healthy for the most part throughout his career. However, this past season could be the start of a flurry of injuries for him. It’s not far-fetched for a 31-year-old defensive lineman.

These questions and concerns are what the 49ers should be staying away from. They’re supposed to be getting younger and more explosive. Not adding another aging player whose best days are on limited time.

If Hendrickson wasn’t going to be such an expensive signing, then by all means bring him in. But he will be costly. He’s been ranked as the top free agent by numerous outlets, so whoever lands him has to be prepared to reserve a chunk of their cap space.

The 49ers can’t do that, despite being desperate to improve their pass rush.

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