Why the 49ers Will Still Be Tied to Joey Bosa Despite Retirement Rumors

Retirement rumors won't matter.

Oct 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) is sacked by. Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa (97) during the first half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Joey Bosa signing with the San Francisco 49ers seemed likely entering free agency in March. But the cost to bring him in is too much for them.

It's wise for the 49ers not to overspend on Bosa. He's not worth the high price at his level, especially with his injury history. But now, it seems any chance to sign him is over, as he's trending towards retirement.

"It is more likely than not that Joey Bosa has played his last NFL down," ESPN's Adam Schefter said. "Could a situation like the 49ers come along that entices him enough to come out and play again? Yeah, absolutely. We saw it happen last year with Philip Rivers.

"So you never know when a player is fully done. But if the 49ers wanted to pair those two together, it probably would have happened already. I think if Joey Bosa wanted to play football, it probably would have happened already."

Well, there you have it. Bosa signing with the 49ers to join his brother, Nick Bosa, is done. There will no longer be any talk of this. Or is it?

Joey Bosa to the 49ers is still alive

Bosa may be inching closer to being done with his football career, but until he's officially hung up his cleats, he'll continue to be tied to the 49ers.

Now, I wouldn't expect the 49ers to sway him anytime soon. They've been content with what they have, even though Kyle Shanahan has said he'd love to have Bosa.

The only way signing Bosa will make sense for them is if they dislike what they see from their defensive ends opposite of Nick Bosa.

Rookie Romello Height is the main player in all of this. The 49ers drafted him with the hope that he could boost their pass-rushing unit.

Joey Bosa and Nick Bos — Jan 30, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; NFC defensive end Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers (left) with brother and AFC linebacker Joey Bosa during the Pro Bowl Skills Challenge at Nicholson Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Height will strictly be a pass-rushing specialist, so he won't help on run downs, which is fine. As long as he can make an impact there, he'll justify the 49ers' selection of him.

However, if he's not looking sweet in training camp and the preseason, the thought of signing Bosa will creep up, especially if the rest of the defensive ends are uninspiring.

The 49ers aren't going to go into 2026 without a feasible pass rusher opposite Nick Bosa. They'll do whatever they can to avoid another mediocre pass-rushing season.

And if it means they have to overpay Joey Bosa in late-August or September, then so be it. At least they tried to see what they had first.

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