The 49ers' quiet trade deadline wasn't cowardly — it was calculated

Bengals’ edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is not saving the 49ers' season or magically making them a Super Bowl contender. He’s not improving their 21st-ranked scoring offense, nor is his rental status worth parting with a first-round pick for. Bradley Chubb and Jermaine Johnson aren’t doing so either, even though both are under contract through 2026.

If the 49ers’ aging core is a concern and a reason to push the chips all in, their success and roster construction in 2025 might prove the opposite.

Digging further into the 49ers’ success this season, it has been primarily because of their last two draft classes. Through Week 9, the 2025 49ers rank fifth in the NFL with 14.6 percent of their snaps being played by rookies, according to SFdata9ers. When healthy, 16 of their 22 starters are former draft picks. 

Other than deadline trades for Jimmy Garoppolo and Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers have opted to deal third-round picks, which are essentially free depending on the draft pick compensation formula, or inconsequential day three picks.

This year, the 49ers only have one day-three selection. A seventh-rounder that could return to the New England Patriots if Keion White plays more than seven games with San Francisco. They did not have the ammunition to acquire a rental piece for cheap, nor did they have the agency to mortgage their future in hopes of rekindling the magic of an early 2020s playoff run.

The 49ers are sticking to their plan

During the offseason, the 49ers hit the reset button by cutting costs, accumulating a league-high $101.1 million dead cap hit, and infusing their roster with youth by way of 11 draft picks.

The plan was clear: retool and hope to take advantage of a weaker schedule to remain competitive in 2025 while setting their sights on being a real contender in 2026. John Lynch was not going to abandon the plan just because they started 6-3, especially with the injuries they have.

The 49ers are still in contention for a playoff spot and remain half a game behind the NFC West lead. They are not punting. They are holding tightly to the plan set in place back in March and refuse to recklessly spend or trade to appease an irrational part of the fanbase.