In the waning hours counting down to the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET, it seemed imminent general manager John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers were going to pull off a move.
Especially with the New York Jets engineering an all-out fire sale that sent notable defenders like cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams elsewhere.
Lynch and the Niners were rumored to be in hot pursuit, particularly regarding defensive end Jermaine Johnson, who was a prized asset under the tutelage of then-head coach Robert Saleh prior to his 2024 firing and subsequent reunion with San Francisco.