​The Sporting News published a forecast about the 49ers making a daring trade during training camp for a 69.5-sack Pro Bowler. The piece also notes The Sporting News as a preferred source. The San Francisco 49ers are widely regarded as top Super Bowl contenders, yet many weight their odds behind the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West. One squad is the defending champion, while the other has pushed all-in with major blockbuster moves; for San Francisco to keep pace, a bold trade could be in order.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon envisions such a move, suggesting the 49ers pursue a high-stakes deal with the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire Maxx Crosby, who has produced 69.5 sacks in his NFL career and earned Pro Bowl recognition. In Gagnon’s scenario, the 49ers would land Crosby during training camp, a move that would require strategic timing and the right incentives. “San Francisco 49ers acquire Maxx Crosby from Las Vegas,” Gagnon writes, adding that a desperate win-now team could target Crosby this summer to stretch toward a title.
Gagnon argues the 49ers could be that team, given their status as a Super Bowl contender in a tough division. To compete with the Seahawks and Rams, adding a premier pass rusher would be essential. With Nick Bosa returning and rising talents such as Mykel Williams also on the roster, the 49ers still face questions at edge, where players like Keion White, Sam Okuayinonu, Romello Heigh, and others have yet to establish themselves as definitive facsimiles for Crosby. Crosby has spent his entire career with the Raiders and has been linked with big trades before, including a near deal with the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks earlier this offseason that ultimately collapsed due to medical concerns.
This development could clear the way for San Francisco to pursue Crosby while potentially negotiating a trade for a first-round pick plus additional assets. Acquiring a player who has reached 69.5 sacks over his career, including 10 sacks in the previous season, plus two second-team All-Pro nods, 133 tackles for loss, and 164 quarterback hits, would be a transformative addition. Pairing Crosby with Bosa could drastically elevate the 49ers’ edge pressure, potentially turning what was a lackluster pass rush last season into one of the league’s most formidable fronts in the 2026 season.
Gagnon’s suggestion is certainly bold, but it isn’t entirely implausible. The 49ers still have a pronounced need at edge rusher, and Crosby represents one of the NFL’s elite players who could be movable in the right circumstances. If the trade materializes, it would align with San Francisco’s window to contend and would make strategic sense given the organization’s current ceiling. Whether such a deal could actually unfold remains to be seen, but the possibility is intriguing for fans and analysts watching the 49ers’ offseason moves.
In other NFL news, discussions around roster moves continue to generate buzz, including debates over coaches’ and executives’ decisions and evaluations of players who could impact teams’ trajectories this season. The broader market for edge rushers remains active, with teams weighing the costs and benefits of pursuing top talent through trades or free-agent signings. The potential Crosby-to-San Francisco move, should it occur, would become a defining storyline of training camp and the lead-up to the season, reshaping expectations for the 49ers and their rivals in the NFC West.