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The San Francisco 49ers finished Week 7 with a convincing win against the Atlanta Falcons, 20-10, and sit atop the NFC West during an injury-riddled season. It has been a season filled with adversity, including losing their starting quarterback, Brock Purdy, and starting defensive end and middle linebacker, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, for multiple weeks during the season. Still, the 49ers haven't lost a beat. They have a record of 5-2, with a 3-0 mark in the division and a 5-1 record in the conference. Their ability to maintain a winning record without multiple key impact players on both sides of the ball has shown they have earned a move at the trade deadline to bolster their roster, giving them a chance to make a playoff push. The 49ers have two more games before the NFL trade deadline (Nov. 4) both on the road against the Houston Texans and New York Giants. Even if they lose both games before the deadline, they would still sit in a good position, with a record of 5-4, to make a playoff push with their play on the field and their remaining favorable schedule. Sustaining a winning record with multiple players out due to injury shows an organization-wide culture that is strong and thriving. It’s a situation that all franchises crave to have. Players who aren’t as well known around the league, like linebackers Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune and defensive back Chase Lucas, stepping up and making winning plays in critical moments during games will only benefit the team's success in the future. As the young players build on their success on the field, it will result in strengthening their cohesiveness as a team on and off of it. Who could 49ers target ahead of trade deadline? The 49ers need another defensive end now that Bryce Huff is expected to be out for multiple weeks due to a hamstring injury he sustained against the Falcons. But who could the team target? A player like Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson might be too expensive based on the $29M contract he signed in August. An edge rusher like the Miami Dolphins' Bradley Chubb, though, might be just the right fit based on where Miami is going as a franchise. With their poor start to the season, as they are 1-6 through seven weeks, the Dolphins are primed to be sellers at the deadline. Chubb is under contract through 2027, and he makes less than what Hendrickson makes this year, at $18 million a year. Chubb is the type of player the 49ers should target at the deadline to bolster their defensive line. With the abundance of injuries the team has been dealt, their strong start to the season has warranted a move at the deadline. Head coach Kyle Shanahan prefers a move that makes sense for now and in the future. Well-run organizations like San Francisco do not just look to go all in on a potential trade that will only be a one-year rental. With cornerstone players like Bosa and Warner, who are under contract for multiple years, it would be foolish to give up lots of high-round draft capital for a rental player who would have the potential of being a free agent after this season. The organization has had a track record of being active at the trade deadline, acquiring players like running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders for draft picks in previous seasons. This season, there is no doubt that with the team winning games, despite playing backup players at many positions in all three phases of the game, it has earned a right for the front office to make a move at the trade deadline.
