The idea of Joey Bosa in a 49ers uniform has been hanging over the NFL all offseason, and the fit is easy to see. San Francisco needs help off the edge, and the chance to line up the veteran pass rusher next to his younger brother, Nick Bosa, gives the whole possibility a built-in appeal.
But for all the noise, nothing has actually happened yet. Joey Bosa remains unsigned, and that silence has stretched on for months.
The reason teams are still interested is simple: the tape still plays. During his run with the Buffalo Bills, Bosa showed he can still wreck a game in bursts.
He logged 563 defensive snaps and posted a 79.3 overall Pro Football Focus defensive grade. He finished with 47 total pressures, five sacks, 30 hurries, 12 quarterback hits, 22 solo tackles and an NFL-leading five forced fumbles.
FanSided analyst Christopher Kline recently added his name to the list of people connecting Bosa to San Francisco. He called it “Another obvious landing spot,” pointing to the 49ers’ need for edge help and Bosa’s production with Buffalo.
Kline noted that Bosa “started 15 games for the Bills, picking up five sacks and an NFL-leading five forced fumbles. He hit the quarterback 16 times.
He can still apply relentless pressure.”
The bigger point in Kline’s view is that the 49ers would not need Bosa to be a full-time centerpiece. He framed him as a support piece who could slot in around Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and sophomore edge rusher Mykel Williams.
In Kline’s words, “Bosa’s services are not in demand like they once were, clearly, but as a supplementary piece next to Nick Bosa - not to mention other high-profile pass rushers like Fred Warner and sophomore edge asset Mykel Williams - the older Bosa brother can still render a significant impact. Bosa occupies arguably the weakest position on the Niners’ defensive line, so there are reasons beyond the sentimental to make this happen.
San Francisco has a real chance to contend in the NFC, which feels totally wide open yet again.”
Still, the delay has raised questions about what Bosa wants to do next. NFL insider Adam Schefter suggested the veteran may be considering retirement.
Grant Cohn, a longtime 49ers beat reporter, pushed back on that idea and said it may be more about leverage than a true exit. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he called it a possible stalling move.
“Doesn’t this feel like a negotiating tactic?” Cohn explained.
“It also feels like stalling, man. If I were 30, I don’t know.
I didn’t play football. I probably wouldn’t want to do training camp either.
I’d probably prefer to play golf."
Cohn also pointed to the modern NFL calendar and the way established veterans can afford to wait. “If I already had $100 million, maybe I’d be cool to do the Philip Rivers thing where you just sort of slide in, wait around, survey the landscape, pick a team that is good, and then join that team as opposed to trying to figure out which team’s going to be good in June," Cohn added. "Getting it wrong and they’re wasting your time.”
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Three 49ers Camp Battles Could Shape Shanahans Season
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The secondary has its own set of questions, and those could be just as revealing. Renardo Green is facing real pressure at cornerback from Jack Jones and rookie Ephysians Prysock, while at safety Malik Mustapha appears set, leaving JiAyir Brown, Marques Sigle and Ashtyn Davis to sort out the other starting role. With so much competition clustered in a few spots, camp will not just determine who starts, but how much flexibility the 49ers have when the season begins. [Read more 🡒]