What John Lynch Really Meant About 49ers' Inability to Afford Joey Bosa

John Lynch said the 49ers can't afford Joey Bosa, but he actually means something else.

Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa watches the offensive line on the field during second half action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov 16, 2025 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Stick a fork in any idea about the San Francisco 49ers signing Joey Bosa to pair up with his brother Nick Bosa.

On Monday at the NFL owners meetings, John Lynch was asked about the prospect of the 49ers bringing Joey into the mix.

“I know Mama Bosa would love that, but I don’t know if we can afford him," Lynch said.

Well, there you have it. Bosa costs too much for the 49ers. It makes sense. He’s always tried to milk a team for as much money as possible. However, Lynch’s comments on the idea of signing Bosa actually mean something else.

What Lynch is actually saying

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When Lynch says the 49ers can’t afford him, he’s actually saying they don’t want to drop a large sum of money on him, even if he is Nick’s brother. The idea of uniting them both is cool and all, but not at his price.

If the 49ers really wanted Joey on their team, they could sign him. It’s not like they don’t have the cash or the salary cap space on hand to squeeze him in on a one-year deal. They currently have $29 million in cap space.

Unless he’s asking for $18 million this year, they can afford him. It’s really about the price they’d have to sign him at, which he isn’t worth that much at all. He’s not in his prime anymore.

Even if he costs just $10 million this year, which I’d bet he wants more than that, that’s too much for the 49ers to drop on him. He’s not worth that money at this stage of his career.

Bosa is an injury concern, and he isn’t as impactful a pass rusher as he once was. It’s not that he isn’t still a solid player that can contribute nicely, but he’s not worth a double-digit contract.

If he wants to lower his number a bit to be a pass-rushing specialist, then it would be okay to sign him. He could fill the void left by the recently retired Bryce Huff.

But it seems even he’s not passionate enough to unite with his brother Nick. Otherwise, he wouldn’t try to gouge the 49ers’ pockets. The 49ers are doing the right thing by not giving in to Joey’s price point.

Adding him would be phenomenal from a marketing standpoint and for the Bosa family. But the 49ers would make their first and only mistake of free agency by overspending on a player who is overrated now.

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