49ers vs. Chargers: Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa battle would have been epic

The 49ers’ Week 10 bout against the Chargers already has plenty of storylines, but Nick Bosa showing off opposite his brother, Joey Bosa, would have been fun.

After his rookie season in 2019, San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa told reporters he wouldn’t mind having the opportunity to play alongside his elder brother, Los Angeles Chargers EDGE Joey Bosa.

Someday. Not right away, though.

The younger Bosa hasn’t had a chance to square off against his older brother in a regular-season game, San Francisco only having played the Bolts in preseason bouts since the 49ers used the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on the Ohio State pass-rusher.

For those who may remember, Joey Bosa was right there to celebrate with his younger brother only minutes after the Niners drafted him.

Now, with San Francisco hosting the Chargers on Sunday Night Football in Week 10, a provocative and entertaining Bosa-versus-Bosa battle would have been great to watch.

Except the elder Bosa is still on injured reserve after suffering a groin injury way back in Week 3 that ultimately required surgery.

Nick Bosa and Joey Bosa are approaching a massive milestone

The two pass-rushers hail from a noteworthy family, and as Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith pointed out ahead of Week 10’s game, the Bosa brothers are helping combine to give the family nearly 100 sacks at the NFL level:

"Currently, the Bosas have 99.5 sacks, with Joey having 59.5, Nick having 33 and their father, John Bosa, who played for the Dolphins from 1987 to 1989, having seven career sacks.The Bosas would still have a ways to go before they had the NFL family sack lead. That belongs to the J.J. Watt and T.J. Watt, who have a combined 179.5 sacks in their careers."

All it will take is for Nick Bosa to register half a sack on Sunday night to put the family into that 100-sack threshold, which is still a pretty exclusive group, as PFT also mentioned:

"Other football families who have combined for at least 100 sacks since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 were Clay Matthews Jr., Clay Matthews III and Casey Matthews with 163.5, Howie and Chris Long with 154, John and Ervin Randle with 145.5 and Arthur and Chandler Jones with 118."

Too bad Joey Bosa won’t be able to partake.

Can 49ers show why Nick Bosa is the better Bosa brother?

Getting down into the matchup for Week 10, Nick Bosa is currently tied for second in the NFL with 8.5 sacks, while Joey Bosa is considerably further down the list with only 1.5 on the year amid his injury.

Had the older Bosa been healthy, though, squaring off opposite his younger brother might have been the opportune moment to show “who’s boss.”

Especially if Joey Bosa ended up lining up opposite right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who struggled in pass protection and allowed two sacks during the Niners’ Week 8 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Read More: 3 bold predictions for 49ers EDGE Nick Bosa in 2022

Meanwhile, and back to reality with those players who’ll actually play on Sunday, Nick Bosa will look to square off against a Bolts offensive line that has been surprisingly effective in protecting quarterback Justin Herbert this year, and Herbert enters Week 10 as the least-sacked quarterback of all qualifiers with just 10 takedowns over the eight games the Chargers have played to date.

Interestingly enough, one might conclude Joey Bosa would have had the easier path to a multi-sack game than Nick Bosa does, although the latter’s production this season has surely been more commendable.

Either way, one could have enjoyed this brotherly bout when San Francisco hosts the Bolts for a primetime showdown on Sunday Night Football this weekend, but Joey Bosa’s injury challenges prevented us from doing so.

Next time, perhaps.