The San Francisco 49ers have not operated like a team fully comfortable with where its roster stands this offseason. That is part of what makes Sports Illustrated’s Myles Garrett-to-San Francisco idea feel more realistic than it might sound at first. If the 49ers still believe this version of their Super Bowl window is open, a move like that would match the urgency around the roster.
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In a recent piece, Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr listed the 49ers as a possible destination for Garrett and framed the fit as both a win-now swing and a longer-term gamble for Cleveland.
“This would be an interesting long-term gamble on behalf of the Browns,” Orr wrote. “While the 49ers are an excellent, top-10 team right now, their aging roster presents the possibility of a few injuries derailing a season and making future 49ers draft capital look immensely valuable.”
Orr also pointed directly to the football appeal on San Francisco’s side.
“The 49ers are moving like a team that acknowledges upgrades are necessary to compete in an increasingly competitive NFC West, and Garrett would dramatically raise the efficacy of star pass rusher Nick Bosa in the interim,” Orr wrote. “This would be a salvo fired directly toward the less-mobile Stafford and bootleg-dependent Sam Darnold within the division.”
Sports Illustrated writer Conor Orr says a Myles Garrett trade makes sense for the Browns, and lists the 49ers as a team that could be a possible destination:
“This would be an interesting long-term gamble on behalf of the Browns. While the 49ers are an excellent, top-10 team… pic.twitter.com/0xHkfl5fxO
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) March 27, 2026
The blockbuster appeal is obvious.
A Garrett-Bosa pairing would immediately give San Francisco one of the most dangerous edge tandems in football. It would also change how offenses approach protection, especially on passing downs, where Bosa can currently be the primary focus.
Garrett is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and the most disruptive defender in football. He posted a 95.6 grade in the PFSN NFL EDGE Impact metrics, the best in the league.
Putting him opposite Bosa would force offenses to account for pressure on both sides, speed up quarterback timing, and give the 49ers a more reliable way to take over games up front.
That part of the idea is easy to buy.
Why the 49ers’ Current Window Justifies an All-In Garrett Trade
The more important part of this conversation is what a move like that would say about San Francisco’s roster.
Quarterback Brock Purdy is still young and should keep the franchise stable at the position. This version of the 49ers, though, is not built to last forever.
George Kittle is moving deeper into his career, Christian McCaffrey is entering his age-30 season, and the Trent Williams situation remains unresolved as he heads into another year in his late 30s. Williams still ranked eighth in PFSN’s Offensive Line Impact metric, but the contract tension is another reminder that the offensive core head coach Kyle Shanahan has leaned on for years is getting older.
That urgency is justified for a team that has already reached two Super Bowls under Shanahan and understands how quickly those windows can close.
If the 49ers still believe this group can make one more run, then Garrett is the kind of player worth paying for. Pairing him with Bosa would give San Francisco the type of front that can still decide playoff games on its own.
There is also timing on Cleveland’s side that makes the conversation more than speculation.
Recent reporting out of Cleveland suggested the Browns may already be structuring Garrett’s contract in a way that could leave the door open to a trade. If that happens, the 49ers are the type of team that should at least be thinking that aggressively. But the cost would be high.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
Before the Baltimore Ravens agreed to a deal for Maxx Crosby that was later voided after he failed his physical, San Francisco likely would have needed to part with at least a first-round pick and a Day 2 selection just to stay in that conversation. Garrett would almost certainly command more. If Cleveland ever seriously made him available, the starting point would likely be at least two first-round picks.
That is the kind of price that forces a team to be honest about where it stands.
If the 49ers still believe their best shot with this core is right now, then a move like this would reflect it, not just as a headline move, but as a clear signal that San Francisco is willing to push for one more run while this window is still open.
