While the San Francisco 49ers are largely done building the roster for 2026, a particular free agent addition could bring extra intrigue for the upcoming season.
That’s landing free agent defensive end Joey Bosa, who has enjoyed a successful career with the Los Angeles Chargers and most recently the Buffalo Bills. Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay named the 49ers as an “underrated” destination for Bosa, who could reunite with his brother, Nick Bosa, the 49ers star defensive end, in the Bay Area.
“It would mark the first time since 2012, when Joey was a senior and Nick was a freshman at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale that the two would be on the same roster,” Kay wrote.
Both played at Ohio State for college, but they missed each other by a year in Columbus. Joey Bosa, 30, played for the Buckeyes between 2013 and 2015 before the Chargers took him with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 draft. Nick Bosa, 28, played for the Buckeyes between 2016 and 2018 before the 49ers took him with the No. 2 pick in 2019.
Joey Bosa played his senior season at St. Thomas Aquinas when Nick Bosa also started with the team as a freshman. They helped St. Thomas Aquinas go 14-2 and win the Class 7A state title.
If Joey Bosa teams up with his brother in San Francisco, the two could chase a title on a grander scale, as the 49ers look to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2023 season.
Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa Discussed Reunion Before
As Kay noted, the Bosa brothers have talked about reuniting before. That happened in 2020 when Joey Bosa became a free agent, but the Chargers kept him.
“Hopefully, maybe, later in our careers get together, but we’re focused on our own paths right now,” Nick Bosa told NBC Sports Bay Area in 2020.
Joey Bosa played another four years with the Chargers, but he left in 2025 as a free agent and signed with the Bills on a one-year, $12.6 million deal. He had 29 tackles, five sacks and five forced fumbles last season.
San Francisco has $68 million in salary cap space, as Kay noted. The 49ers could easily meet Bosa’s market value.
Why 49ers Need Joey Bosa
San Francisco has solid talent on the defensive line, but adding Joey Bosa would solve an injury problem with defensive end Mykel Williams, which Kay noted.
“With Williams coming off a torn ACL and not guaranteed to be ready for the start of the season, the elder Bosa could be the perfect fill-in,” Kay wrote. “Sam Okuayinonu currently profiles as Williams’ replacement for Week 1, which is a less-than-ideal situation that San Francisco should try to avoid by signing a more talented edge-rusher.”
“Don’t forget that the 49ers have been dealing with a slew of injury-related defensive attrition in recent years, making it critically important to add more depth before training camp begins,” Kay concluded.
Injuries have derailed 49ers seasons since 2019. The 49ers dealt with injuries in 2020 and went 6-10 after making the Super Bowl the year before. San Francisco did likewise in 2024 with a 6-11 mark after a Super Bowl appearance in the 2023 season.
49ers Nudged to Make Longtime Reunion in Free Agency