"Nothing is done, but the Bosa brothers want to be together and probably will get there this year," Kawakami wrote. "Which likely means this will be a moderate deal [plus] incentives."
The Los Angeles Chargers recently released Bosa, making him available to sign with any team before free agency officially begins this week.
If Bosa (6-5, 280) joins the 49ers, it would mark a reunion with his younger brother, Nick Bosa. The siblings last played together at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale—when Joey was a senior and Nick was a freshman. They continue to train together during the offseason.
The Chargers selected Bosa out of Ohio State with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. 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.
Over his nine-year career, Bosa has totaled 343 tackles (87 for a loss), 156 quarterback hits, 72 sacks, three passes defensed, and 17 forced fumbles in 107 career games (93 starts). However, injuries have been an issue—he has missed 23 games over the past three seasons, and his last double-digit sack season came in 2021.
Notably, signing Bosa would not impact the 49ers' compensatory pick formula for next season, as he was released before free agency.
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