Joey Bosa’s name has been linked with the San Francisco 49ers all offseason. Given that his younger brother, Nick Bosa, is there, it would make for a great storyline throughout the season. Moreover, the older Bosa would fill a need the Niners have for depth at the edge position.
Last season, San Francisco was at the bottom in sacks, so the team knows that if they want to be a serious Super Bowl contender, that number needs to go up. Furthermore, Joey showed last season with the Buffalo Bills that he can still get to the QB.
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.
On May 16, David Lombardi of the SF Standard shared an update on the older Bosa situation.
“[The 49ers] have money in the salary cap bank to be able to go out and make a move if one does make sense,” Lombardi said in a livestream on his YouTube channel.
“That does not mean they should go out and waste money or just sign Joey Bosa at whatever price he wants. They should still be judicious moving forward. Everybody is going to ask about Joey Bosa. They remain interested in Joey Bosa.”
Joey Bosa Might Not Want to Make Decision on His Future
Moreover, Lombardi speculates that Bosa is in no rush to decide on his future, given that he’s had matters in his personal life that are more important.
“Remember, Joey just got married a couple of weeks ago, though,” Lombardi added. “It is probably honeymoon time right now for Joey Bosa. I do not know if he exactly wants to be at OTAs for any team right now over the course of the offseason.
“I think he might just be biding his time and waiting to sign somewhere ahead of training camp where he could get a better price, and maybe the 49ers and Joey can find a price.”
49ers Get Potential In-Season Trade Target
Bosa isn’t the only veteran that the Niners should consider. In a May 13 article, Lombardi projects what the 49ers’ 53-man roster will look like when Week 1 rolls around for head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Moreover, when it comes to the safety position, Lombardi sees Malik Mustapha, Ji’Ayir Brown, and Marques Sigle making the team. However, Lombardi floats Atlanta Falcons‘ Jessie Bates III as a potential in-season trade target.
“There’s perpetual chatter about the 49ers’ recent shortcomings at safety,” Lombardi wrote. “But keep this in mind: Safety production is strongly correlated with a team’s pass rush, and the 49ers finished with a league-low 20 sacks in 2025. There’s a reason they’ve redone nearly all of their D-line over the past 14 months.
“Missed tackles have been an issue for safeties outside of Sigle (who, in turn, suffered through major issues in coverage), but they should see better opportunities to succeed in 2026. And perhaps an in-season trade for a former Morris safety might be in the cards. Jessie Bates III, anyone?”
Joey Bosa Gets Blunt Free-Agent Update From 49ers Insider