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The San Francisco 49ers could be looking to have the Bosa brothers on the same team next season. With the Niners needing to bolster their pass rush for the 2026 NFL season, the team could look to take a flyer on the veteran Joey Bosa.
While Nick Bosa will return healthy for the upcoming season, the 49ers can’t put all their hopes of rushing the quarterback on him. As a result, speculation about another Bosa on the defensive line is emerging.
Regarding Joey, the older Bosa recorded 17 solo tackles, 12 assisted tackles, and 5.0 sacks in 15 regular season games for the Buffalo Bills in 2025, per StatMuse. Despite his injury history, he would be a valuable pass-rushing asset to go alongside his young brother.
Amid the speculation surrounding Joey, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco shared his thoughts on the potential move for the Niners to add another pass rusher.
“[The] 49ers still have a little bit of money to be able to add an edge rusher,” Maiocco said in a March 14 video from his YouTube channel. “I would think the guy at the top of the list is Joey Bosa… To me, Joey Bosa makes sense. I do not think he is going to be as costly as he was a year ago, when he accounted for about $13 million for the one season with the Buffalo Bills.
“Joey Bosa turns 31 in July. He started 15 games for Buffalo last year and played 64 percent of the snaps. He had five sacks and five forced fumbles. So he can still play. The question is whether he is an every-down player at this stage in his career. He pretty much was with the Buffalo Bills.”
Joey Bosa to the 49ers Makes Sense
Moreover, when it comes to the reality of signing Joey, Maiocco believes that San Francisco can put together an offer that would entice the veteran pass rusher to team up with his younger brother in the Bay Area.
“I think where the 49ers are, it certainly would not surprise me if they’re able to put together a competitive offer to bring in Joey Bosa,” Maiocco added. “… I think Joey Bosa is the best guy out there, and what the market is for him remains to be seen. Certainly, teams are interested. I would think multiple teams would be interested in adding him, just as they were a year ago.
“This year, it just seems to make a little bit more sense for the 49ers than it did a year ago. I think when you look at what they’ve done in free agency, a lot of these guys are one-year deals… It does make sense from a depth standpoint for the 49ers to bring in a quality edge rusher. I think it really is a possibility that the 49ers could have this Bosa-Bosa defensive line.”
Could the 49ers Draft a Pass Rusher?
Nonetheless, could the 49ers look at a pass rusher in the draft next month? Matt Barrows of The Athletic recently issued his seven-round mock draft for the 49ers. For Barrows, selecting a young pass rusher in Round 1 is the route he sees the Niners going after Akheem Mesidor from the Miami Hurricanes.
“No, Miami defensive end Rueben Bain won’t be available at pick No. 27,” Barrows wrote in his mock draft that was published on Feb. 13. “But his bookend on the Hurricanes’ defensive line could be.
“Mesidor was nearly as destructive as Bain in 2025, finishing with 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, he had a pass-rush win rate of 21.2 percent. To put that in perspective, Bain’s was 22.9 percent.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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