The San Francisco 49ers were believed to be highly interested in signing Bosa, the older brother of the team's star defensive end, Nick Bosa. The siblings last played together at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, where Joey was a senior and Nick was a freshman. While they have played for different NFL teams, they've continued to train together each offseason.
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The Miami Dolphins were also reportedly interested in the veteran pass rusher.
The Chargers drafted Bosa (6-5, 280) out of Ohio State with the No. 3 overall pick in 2016. Last season, he recorded 22 tackles (five for a loss), 13 quarterback hits, five sacks, and two forced fumbles over 14 games (nine starts), playing 50 percent of the defensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference.
The Chargers announced Bosa's release on March 5. There was speculation that the 49ers were preparing to sign him after parting ways with defensive end Leonard Floyd, last year's top free-agent acquisition.
Injuries have been a concern for Bosa, who has missed 23 games over the past three seasons. The 29-year-old's last double-digit sack season came in 2021, which may have raised red flags for the 49ers as they look to rebound from an injury-plagued 2024 season that ended with a 6-11 record and a missed playoff berth.
Despite the setbacks, Bosa has enjoyed a highly productive NFL career. Over nine seasons, he has amassed 343 tackles (87 for a loss), 156 quarterback hits, 72 sacks, three passes defensed, and 17 forced fumbles in 107 career games (93 starts).
San Francisco's pass rush struggled last season, earning a 68.1 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 18th in the league.
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