Why the 49ers Must Trade for Khalil Mack

Oct 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers outside linebacker Khalil MacK (52) is introduced for the game against the Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why the 49ers Must Trade for Khalil Mack

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Jose Sanchez | Last updated Oct 6, 2026 5:18 PM ET

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Defeating the Denver Broncos was an impressive win for the San Francisco 49ers.

One reason it's impressive is that they did it without an effective pass rush. Bo Nix had all day to throw on practically every dropback. His time to throw was 3.02 seconds.

He was never sacked and was only pressured 13 times. If the 49ers had faced a good quarterback, or a somewhat decent one, they might've lost the game.

Their pass rush is almost as nonexistent as it was last season. That's going to remain with Nick Bosa out, which should coerce the 49ers into making a trade.

And the trade to execute is for Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack. John Lynch has to be working the phones with the Chargers to see if they can broker a deal.

Trading for Khalil Mack makes too much sense

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's time. Their performance against the Broncos should've been enough to convince them how bad it is. The week before, against the Arizona Cardinals, it was the same as well.

Jacoby Brissett was only pressured 13 times on his 54 dropbacks. Yes, he was sacked twice, but one of them was a cleanup sack when Brissett rushed up the middle.

The 49ers' pass rush is lost without Bosa, and while it's been awesome to see the defense play well under Raheem Morris, that won't last for long if their pass rush continues to be a ghost.

Trading for Mack makes too much sense for them, especially with the Chargers at 0-4. They're bound to be sellers sooner rather than later, as they have no hope in sight.

Mack has tallied three sacks and 16 pressures so far, which would lead everyone on the 49ers. Only Keion White comes close with two sacks and 11 pressures.

If the 49ers acquired Mack now, they'd take on $6.22 million on their salary cap. That's an easy deal to take on, so it would come down to what the 49ers would need to give.

A third-round pick would be an easy one to give up, but I'm not sure if that will be sufficient for the Chargers. Given how great the 49ers look, their draft picks will be near the end of every round.

A first-round pick is out of the question, so the 49ers will have to offer their second-rounder. It's a bit steep for a half-season rental, but Mack will drastically boost their defense.

They cannot waste the opportunity in front of them by waiting on Bosa. And if he comes back healthy and doesn't miss any more games, the 49ers will have a monstrous defense.

Pull the trigger.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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