Former Buffalo Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa is still waiting for his next NFL team, but his younger brother hinted that the veteran could be content to ride off into the sunset.
Bosa has remained a free agent since the conclusion of his one-year contract with the Bills and a year that brought mixed results. While Bosa has been connected to a number of potential landing spots, he has not seen much action in free agency.
Now, brother Nick Bosa is sparking speculation that Joey Bosa may have reached the end of his career.
Joey Bosa May Not Focused on Football
Many NFL insiders have speculated that Joey Bosa could join Nick on the San Francisco 49ers, an assertion that Nick seemed to shoot down. Speaking to reporters this week, Nick Bosa hinted that his older brother isn’t too focused on football at the moment.
“Yeah, I think he’s working on his golf game right now,” Nick said, via NFL.com. “I don’t think he’s thinking too much about football.”
NFL.com reporter Grant Gordon noted that Nick Bosa’s comments raised questions about whether Joey Bosa could instead head to retirement.
“Nick was asked if he had any notion about Joey’s future plans, such as signing with the Niners or retiring,” Gordon wrote. “Aside from seemingly shutting down ideas that the Bosas could play together for the first time since high school at St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida, the comment also suggests big bro Joey could be contemplating retirement.”
Joey Bosa’s NFL Options
Joey Bosa is coming off an up-and-down season with the Bills, finding success in pressuring opposing quarterbacks and leading the league in forced fumbles, but also struggling in run coverage and making some critical mistakes.
Gordon suggested that Bosa’s accumulated injuries may have blunted his NFL future.
“Joey Bosa, set to turn 31 on July 11, is coming off his 10th NFL season,” Gordon wrote. “He tallied 29 tackles and five sacks for the Buffalo Bills after nine seasons with the Chargers, who drafted him third overall in 2016. Though he played 15 of a possible 17 games last season, he played in just 28 of a possible 51 over the previous three years combined, with injuries mounting on an annual basis.”
Gordon added that Bosa may no longer have the motivation for a grueling NFL schedule.
“The five-time Pro Bowler also earned north of $150 million in his career, according to Over the Cap. With a banged-up body and a bulked-up bank account, perhaps it’s the end of the line for the older Bosa brother,” Gordon wrote.
But other NFL analysts have suggested Bosa could be a good fit for a number of title contenders, including the Detroit Lions. SI.com’s Vito Chirco suggested that Bosa would be a good fit in Detroit, where he can line up opposite star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
“Bosa, who suited up for the Buffalo Bills last season, remains one of the league’s most proficient pass-rushers when healthy, and there’s no doubt he’d provide a significant boost to Kelvin Sheppard’s defense,” Chirco wrote.
Ex-Bills Edge Joey Bosa Faces Retirement Rumors After Nick Bosa Comment