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The San Francisco 49ers will be looking to address their defensive line ahead of the 2026 season. While they made the playoffs in 2025, San Francisco had issues without the ball throughout the campaign. The problem was evident in their 41-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round of the postseason.

More specifically, the 49ers’ pass rush was essentially a mess during the recent season. The absence of star Nick Bosa was clearly a large part of that. Bosa only managed to feature in three total games in 2025 due to an ACL injury. Without the All-Pro, San Francisco recorded the fewest sacks (20) and the third-fewest quarterback pressures (106) in the entire NFL.

The lack of heat on the opposing quarterback left the 49ers’ secondary exposed. In fact, San Francisco’s defense allowed 3,951 yards through the air on the season. Only seven other teams recorded a higher figure in 2025. One player who could certainly help the team’s need up front is Philadelphia Eagles star defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

Philadelphia could be willing to trade the two-time Pro Bowler in the near future. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported that the Eagles have already received calls regarding the availability of Carter. Easton Butler then followed this up by specifically naming the 49ers as one of the teams to show interest in the star. According to Butler, at least a half dozen organizations have reached out to Philadelphia.

Jalen Carter Would Address Key Need for the San Francisco 49ers

GettyJalen Carter terrorizes opposing NFL quarterbacks.

Potentially pairing Carter with Bosa would give the 49ers a dynamic defensive front line. Bosa is recovering well from his serious setback and is expected to be healthy for training camp this summer. The defensive end is a sack machine when fully fit and even led the league in the category in 2022.

Carter could even help free up extra space for Bosa off the edge. The current Eagles star is regularly double-teamed due to his unique combination of strength and speed. Carter has racked up 13.5 sacks and 58 pressures in his first three NFL seasons. His playing time, however, has been limited outside of his stellar 2024 campaign.

Despite his obvious talent, the Eagles do not seem willing to reward Carter with a massive contract extension. If this is ultimately the case, they will likely trade him while his value is high. Carter is set to earn about $7 million in 2026 and then $27 million the following season. Although the salaries are significantly different, the combination of $17 million over two years is fairly manageable for a star.

Carter’s Character Issues do not Seem to be Deterring Teams

Philadelphia’s hesitations regarding Carter may very well come down to character issues. The defensive standout was involved in a fatal car crash before he was drafted by the team in 2023. He was then ejected from a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in September 2025 for spitting in Dak Prescott’s face.

Despite the issues, teams around the league are obviously still willing to target Carter this offseason. The Eagles would almost certainly insist on a first-round draft pick, as well as another selection, to let go of the star. San Francisco has limited picks in the upcoming draft, but it can still make a deal work.

San Francisco 49ers receive: Jalen Carter

Philadelphia Eagles receive: 1st-round and 4th-round draft picks

Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore

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