A long-awaited dream of Nick Bosa could soon come true.
One offseason trade suggestion has the 49ers landing a player Nick Bosa knows very, very well.
San Francisco 49ers All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa has mentioned a desire to eventually play alongside his older brother, Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa.
While neither of the Bosa brothers have made it a stress point, rather each just allowing the other to enjoy his own career trajectory, the eventual dream of reuniting on the same team has been a talking point.
That talking point could potentially become a reality, though, especially with the Niners aiming to fortify their dilapidated defensive line, while the Bolts could be aiming to move on from the aging, oft-injured elder Bosa.
So, the context is there for a potential Bosa reunion, this time in the Bay Area.
It’s not just a hypothetical wish to appease Nick Bosa either. In fact, USA Today’s For the Win even suggested such an offseason deal takes place between the two California franchises.
Bold trade prediction sends Joey Bosa to 49ers to pair with Nick Bosa
FTW’s Cory Woodroof compiled a list of bold predictions for the offseason, plenty of which involve star edge rushers going elsewhere: Maxx Crosby to the New England Patriots, Myles Garrett to the Washington Commanders, etc.
One of the proposed transactions involved Los Angeles shipping Joey Bosa off to San Francisco.
Woodroof wrote:
“Two Bosas on the same field? The 49ers need more juice off the edge, and they could look to Nick Bosa’s elder brother as the solution. At this point in his career, Joey Bosa would be a much better complimentary rusher opposite a superstar. Putting the Bosa brothers together in Santa Clara could spell problems for the rest of the NFL. This feels like a no-brainer for San Francisco, and Los Angeles could add draft capital and free up some additional cap space.”
Now, Woodroof didn’t go into the specs of the would-be trade. And there are obstacles that’d potentially get in the way.
However, it is feasible. Let’s take a look.
What would it take for 49ers to trade for Joey Bosa?
Bosa is entering a contract year and carries zero in guaranteed money in 2025, according to Over the Cap. The 30 year old would likely seek a post-trade contract extension, but his age and recent history of injuries could make him relatively affordable on a new deal, perhaps in the range of $15 million, annually.
Should L.A. trade him, which appears to be the desired route, it’d incur an $11 million dead-money hit while saving $25.4 million in cap space, money the 49ers would have to absorb in 2025.
However, with $48-plus million in cap space, the Niners can do this.
Then, there’s the concern of compensation going back to Los Angeles. If the Chargers are set on releasing Bosa anyway, San Francisco might not be pressed into giving up much by the way of draft capital.
Remember back in 2013 when the 49ers traded for star wide receiver Anquan Boldin? It took a mere sixth-round pick sent to the Baltimore Ravens to do so, since they were already planning on releasing the veteran wideout anyway if no trade materialized.
Bosa could command more, yes. But a third- or potentially even a fourth-round pick might be more than satisfactory if the Bolts also gain substantial cap savings in the process. And there’s also the thought of possibly using wide receiver Deebo Samuel as trade bait, too, although trading him prior to June 1 comes with substantial financial obstacles.
Meanwhile, the Niners land a proven pass-rusher they can afford (at least right now) at the expense of a mid-round pick, all the while making Nick Bosa a very happy customer.
