At the start of the league new year, general manager John Lynch pretty much shot down any notion of the San Francisco 49ers inking veteran defensive end Joey Bosa, older brother of the Niners' own Nick Bosa, on a free-agent deal.
"I don't know if we can afford him," Lynch said to reporters, responding to an online plea from the Bosa matron.
But that was way back in March, and plenty has changed since the GM made those comments. The Niners added a developmental pass-rusher via the NFL Draft, third-rounder Romello Height, and Joey Bosa's asking price might've diminished in the wake of him going unsigned for so long.
Understandably, the idea of him accepting a cheaper deal in the Bay Area to play alongside his brother has prompted several analysts and pundits to suggest it a possibility.
Joey Bosa-to-49ers buzz is picking up steam again
In looking at still-available free agents, ESPN's Matt Bowen cited San Francisco as a best-fit destination for the soon-to-be 30-year-old Bosa.
No longer the premier pass-rusher he was earlier in his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, the older Bosa brother nevertheless is coming off a successful one-year term with the Buffalo Bills in which he recorded five sacks and five forced fumbles over 15 games played, and the hope is a situational role would be what suits his talents best at this stage of his career, as Bowen pointed out:
Bosa has answered some availability questions over the past two seasons, playing in at least 14 games in each, and he fits as a pass rusher in Raheem Morris' defense. Bosa played 36.3 snaps per game last season in Buffalo, finishing with five sacks, five forced fumbles and 42 pressures.
We still see Bosa's speed-to-power ability on tape, and he still keeps high energy to make stops later in the down. He would provide quality depth for a 49ers' pass rush that ranked last in pressure rate (24.9%) and total sacks (20) in 2025. And why not have some fun and put him next to his brother, Nick?
This would afford the 49ers an excellent contingency plan, should Height's development come along slower than desired. Considering the Niners recorded a mere 20 sacks last season, a league-low number, getting any pass-rush help would be desirable.
Plus, the longer Bosa has to wait, the likelihood of accepting a cheaper deal increases.
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