The idea of Joey Bosa joining his brother Nick with the San Francisco 49ers has been a popular offseason talking point among 49ers fans. But, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it probably isn’t happening.
Schefter, speaking on his podcast Monday, suggested the veteran pass rusher’s career may effectively be over.
“It is more likely than not that Joey Bosa has played his last NFL down,” Schefter said. “Now again, could a situation like the 49ers come along, that entices him enough to come out and play again? Yeah, absolutely. We saw it happen last year with Philip Rivers. So you never know when a player is fully done and when he’s not done. But the fact of the matter is, I think if the Niners wanted to pair those two together, it probably would have happened already.”
The 49ers had every opportunity this offseason to bring Joey Bosa in alongside Nick, and it never materialized. General manager John Lynch addressed the possibility in March, but explained that the team “couldn’t afford” to sign the veteran edge rusher. This, of course, isn’t true considering the 49ers have a league-high $71 million in salary cap space.
The younger Bosa himself gave a telling hint about his brother’s mindset earlier this spring, although he noted that the older Bosa isn’t concerned with football “right now.”
Joey Bosa, who will be 31 in July, spent nine seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers before being released in 2024. He played for the Buffalo Bills in 2025, where Bosa tallied five sacks and forced five fumbles in 15 games. He has 77 career sacks, so he could still play a crucial role on any defense despite his age and injury history.
The 49ers, meanwhile, are still building out their defensive front. Nick Bosa anchors the edge, but he and 2025 first-rounder Mykell Williams are both coming off season-ending ACL injuries. Romello Height, a 2026 rookie, Sam Okuayinonu, and Keion White are the only other top edge rushers on the roster heading into the season.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Report: Popular 49ers free agent connection likely to retire
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
