NFL Rumors: Joey Bosa, 49ers Talk Contract to Join Brother Nick After Chargers Release

The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly had contract talks with pass-rusher Joey Bosa since his release from the Los Angeles Chargers last week.

According to Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard, no agreement has been reached yet, but the negotiations have been "good," and it "feels like it's headed toward a deal."

Joey's brother, Nick Bosa, is a superstar pass-rusher for the Niners, and Kawakami noted that they want to play together. Assuming it happens, Joey will likely sign a "moderate deal" that includes incentives, per Kawakami.

The 49ers, meanwhile, cleared some salary cap space Sunday by releasing veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins:

Since the 49ers already have a solid pass-rushing duo in Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd, Kawakami described Joey Bosa's potential role with the team as a "rotation piece."

Joey would provide some high-end depth, while also allowing Nick to rest more often than he has in the past.

After starring collegiately at Ohio State, Joey Bosa went third overall to the Chargers in the 2016 NFL draft.

The now-29-year-old Bosa spent his first nine NFL seasons with the Bolts, earning five Pro Bowl selections and the 2016 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Bosa has started 93 of the 107 career regular-season games he has appeared in, registering 343 tackles, 72 sacks, 87 tackles for loss, 17 forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

While Bosa had double-digit sacks in three of his first four seasons and four of his first six, he has not had more than 6.5 sacks in a single season since 2021 when he finished with 10.5

Injuries are a big reason for that, as he was limited to five games in 2022 and nine in 2023. While he did manage to play 14 games last season, he was only able to muster 22 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles.

Given his recent injury history and hefty contract, the Chargers released him in order to save $25.36 million against the salary cap, per Spotrac.

On the heels of reaching the Super Bowl in 2023, the 49ers surprisingly missed the playoffs with a 6-11 record.

A low-end pass-rush played at least some role in their struggles, as they ranked only tied for 23rd in the league with 37 sacks. Outside of Nick Bosa's nine sacks and Floyd's 8.5, the rest of the defense didn't provide much of a pass-rushing punch.

Joey would give the Niners another quality pass-rusher if he can stay healthy, and he would lend support to Nick, who was the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and has never had fewer than nine sacks in a season aside from 2020 when injuries limited him to two games.

After last season's disappointment, the 49ers are widely expected to bounce back in 2025 provided most of their key players can stay much healthier than they did in 2024.

San Francisco still has the makings of a potential Super Bowl contender in the NFC, and the addition of Joey Bosa could be the type of high-upside move that makes a big difference.