Last season, the San Francisco 49ers struggled to sack the QB, recording 20 sacks as a team. Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams will be returning from injury, while the Niners also drafted Romello Height to improve the group.
Nonetheless, there’s been speculation regarding whether the Niners will pursue a veteran free agent to bolster the group ahead of the 2026 season. Moreover, one name that has emerged this offseason is Joey Bosa.
With his younger brother Nick on the team, it would be an amazing storyline to have the two as teammates. However, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco speculates whether the older Bosa wants to play in 2026.
“I still don’t think [the 49ers signing Bosa] is going to happen anytime soon,” Maiocco said in a June 12 video on his YouTube channel. “In fact, I really don’t think it’s going to happen, period.
“Just the way Nick talked about Joey and how he’s more interested in concentrating on his golf game at this point than he is on playing football, it kind of leads me to believe that an NFL veteran who has made so much money playing this sport, if in late May or early June his mind is more on golf than football, there’s a really good chance that he ends up retiring.
“Of course, if a team comes along with a contract offer that blows the socks off, I’m sure he’ll play. But it certainly sounded to me as if there is a chance, a real chance, that Joey Bosa will retire.”
Would the Eagles Make Sense for Joey Bosa?
Meanwhile, FanSided’s Wynston Wilcox sees the Philadelphia Eagles as a better fit for the former Los Angeles Chargers star to help replace Jaelan Phillips, who left in free agency to sign with the Carolina Panthers.
“The Philadelphia Eagles have to figure out how to patch this defense together,” Wilcox wrote in a June 4 article. “While Jaelan Phillips wasn’t the producer Josh Sweat was, the Eagles need to figure out who will handle the pass rush this upcoming season.
“In the meantime, Joey Bosa is a short term solution. Bosa spent a season in Buffalo, where he finished with five sacks and five forced fumbles. Yes, Bosa is aging and at the end of his career, but it doesn’t dispute he could provide enough of a presence to improve this defense.”
What Could Joey Bosa Bring to the 49ers?
The veteran pass rusher showed last season with the Buffalo Bills that he has plenty left in the tank. During the 2025 season, the former Bills pass rusher played 563 snaps, leading to a 79.3 overall PFF defensive grade.
He generated 47 total pressures as a pass rusher, including five sacks, 30 hurries, and 12 hits. Against the run, he recorded 22 solo tackles while forcing five fumbles on the season.
It will be interesting to see whether Bosa decides it’s better to retire and focus on his post-football life, or if a team makes an offer he can’t refuse and he plays the upcoming 2026 campaign. Nonetheless, right now it doesn’t appear that he has his mind on football.
49ers Insider Offers Major Speculation on Joey Bosa’s Future