The 49ers had interest in multiple pass rushers prior to the NFL's Oct. 31 trade deadline.
San Francisco ended up making a splash by acquiring defensive end Chase Young in a trade with the Washington Commanders, but the 49ers reportedly were targeting another name on the market.
However, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday, citing sources, that the 49ers and Chicago Bears were two teams that expressed interest in Carolina Panthers star outside linebacker Brian Burns before acquiring pass rushers of their own in separate trades with the Commanders.
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Schefter also reported that the Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens also reached out to the Panthers about Burns, and that Carolina was quick to shut down any and all trade discussions involving its defensive star.
In seven games with Carolina this season, the 2019 first-round pick has five sacks, 10 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss, 21 combined tackles and one forced fumble. Burns is coming off a career-best 2022 season in which he recorded 12.5 sacks in 16 games with the Panthers.
Burns is in the final year of his rookie contract and will become a free agent after the 2023 season.
While Burns is a better all-around player than Young, the 49ers still can feel good about their deadline acquisition after bolstering an already-scary defensive line that now is bookended by two Ohio State products in Young and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa.
