A report that the 49ers have made a contract offer to free-agent edge rusher Joey Bosa is being disputed by “someone familiar with these discussions.”
After The Athletic’s Mike Silver initially reported that the 49ers and Miami Dolphins had made similar offers to Bosa, the veteran NFL insider walked back the news, stating that he was told by the person familiar with the discussions that the numbers being publicized were “wrong.”
In Silver’s first post on X, formerly Twitter, he suggested that Bosa would receive “less than $10 million” from either the 49ers or Dolphins.
But Silver now is indicating that Bosa, who was released by the Los Angeles Chargers last week, could earn more than $10 million from a team in 2025.
While the idea of playing alongside his brother, Nick Bosa, on the 49ers reportedly is appealing to Joey, it’s no surprise the Dolphins also are interested in adding the five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher if the price is right.
Joey’s release saved the Chargers north of $25 million against their cap space in 2025, as he was on a two-year contract worth $40.3 million and set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. And despite his injury history, the 2016 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year remains one of the most talented players available in NFL free agency.
Even though the Dolphins and 49ers reportedly are interested, Miami likely faces an uphill climb in acquiring the older Bosa brother. Their mom openly has campaigned for Joey to join Nick in the Bay, and Nick admitted the idea interested him last offseason.
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“I did, yeah. It was fun to think about,” Bosa told reporters in July. “I think he wanted to stick with the [Chargers] and be a part of hopefully their turning it around. I think they have the people to do it, but haven’t really had everything come together. So yeah, I’m excited, he’s been there for a long time, so it would be a shame if he left when they turned it around.”
Before Nick’s dreams could become a reality, Joey eventually worked out a restructured contract to stay in Los Angeles, taking a pay cut from $22 million to $15 million on the heels of back-to-back injury-riddled seasons.
The Chargers ultimately ended the 2024 season with a wild-card round loss to the Houston Texans, and now, Joey is off their roster.
While it’s unclear if the 49ers have made an offer to Bosa, it would seem they have an inside advantage in luring him to the Bay Area.
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