ESPN wants the 49ers to make a free agent move that will kill two birds with one stone as offseason activities are beginning
The 49ers could use some depth on defense, and there just so happens to be a free agent who checks all the boxes.
The San Francisco 49ers found a way to weather the storm in 2025, battling through injury after injury to make the playoffs and ultimately come up short when it mattered most. Of course, the straw that broke the camel’s back was when star pass rusher Nick Bosa was lost for the season.
Beyond his injury, however, the 49ers’ vaunted pass rush simply wasn’t the same as we had come to know it: three to four players deep, all capable of disrupting a quarterback on any given snap. Well, ESPN has a way for the 49ers to get back to that style of play, and with someone who knows Nick Bosa very well.
Joey Bosa named free agent fit for San Francisco 49ers
“Bosa has answered some availability questions over the past two seasons, playing in at least 14 games in each, and he fits as a pass rusher in Raheem Morris’ defense. Bosa played 36.3 snaps per game last season in Buffalo, finishing with five sacks, five forced fumbles and 42 pressures.”
“We still see Bosa’s speed-to-power ability on tape, and he still keeps high energy to make stops later in the down. He would provide quality depth for a 49ers’ pass rush that ranked last in pressure rate (24.9%) and total sacks (20) in 2025. And why not have some fun and put him next to his brother, Nick?” – Matt Bowen, ESPN
Joey Bosa 2025 stats
- 29 tackles
- 5 sacks
- 5 forced fumbles (lead league)
Does Joey Bosa actually make sense for the 49ers?
Beyond the fact that Nick and Joey are brothers, Joey is a traditional 4-3 end who does his best work rushing upfield. He’s a perfect scheme fit for the 49ers, even if he may no longer be the Pro Bowl-caliber starter that he once was.
On a one-year deal, I see no issue with taking a flier on a proven sack artist who can still elevate a defense, evidenced by his league-leading five forced fumbles during the 2025 season.