Niners defensive end Nick Bosa has not played with his brother, Joey, since they were at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
Cheryl Bosa is back on the campaign trail. Her goal? Get her two sons on the same team.
The mom of Nick Bosa and Joey Bosa, a pair of Pro Bowl-caliber pass rushers, posted an edited graphic on her Instagram story over the weekend that featured the two side-by-side in San Francisco 49ers threads. She included different variations of the gasping emoji for good measure. The post, an almost identical copy of her IG story from February 2025 before Joey signed a one-year deal to join the Buffalo Bills, was her latest appeal.
Cheryl has wanted her boys to play together for a while: “OMG! Do it for Mama (bear emoji),” she wrote over a similarly photoshopped image in March 2024.
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What perhaps began as wishful thinking has become more realistic. Nick acknowledged last offseason the chance to play with his brother appeared possible, if only briefly. The 49ers pursued Joey but were ultimately outbid by the Bills.
“Maybe for five minutes on the phone with — maybe I can’t say that,” Bosa said last summer. “Maybe for a moment. … It was (exciting), but business is business, and I’m happy for him. He’s getting a pretty good opportunity” in Buffalo.
The 49ers remain in search of an effective edge rusher opposite Nick, a long-term need they have struggled to fill. No one on the Niners finished with more than four sacks last season, with Nick Bosa out due to a right ACL tear from Week 3 on.
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The 49ers traded for Bryce Huff in May hoping he could recapture the magic of his 10-sack season while with the Jets in 2023, where Robert Saleh was his head coach. Saleh returned to be the defensive coordinator in Santa Clara last year. But the pairing did not prove nearly as productive in 2025. Huff finished with four sacks in his lone season with the Niners. He announced his retirement last week; the team may have considered releasing him anyway to recoup $5.4 million in 2026 salary cap savings.
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The Bosa brothers both attended Ohio State but did not overlap during their college playing days. They last played together at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
In 2023, Nick Bosa said on “The Richard Sherman Podcast” that teaming up with Joey “might break the NFL.” Joey at that point might still have been considered to be in his prime, with four double-digit-sack seasons under his belt. The Chargers released him after 2024 as a cap casualty, and the Bills shelled out $12.6 million to employ him in 2025.
Joey Bosa, now 30, remains available a full week after the legal tampering period began, and several days after Nick had his contract restructured by the 49ers, freeing up more than $17 million in cap space. Joey’s extensive injury history and lower production in recent seasons explains why he remains available, but he has still managed 16.5 sacks across his past three seasons. Spotrac calculates his market value at $13.7 million. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell predicts the 49ers as his best fit, particularly at this later stage in free agency.
The Niners have the need and the cap space to make it happen. Plus an interested parent apparently very ready to cheer for one NFL team instead of two.
WR depth piece: The 49ers agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk, a league source confirmed to the Chronicle. Kirk recorded 28 catches for 239 yards and one touchdown in 13 games for the Texans a season ago.
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The last full season for Kirk, who turns 30 in November, was 2022 when he compiled 84 catches for 1,108 yards for the Jaguars. More recently, Kirk caught eight passes for 144 yards and a touchdown as part of the Texans’ blowout 30-6 win over the Steelers in their AFC wild-card matchup in January. He added a touchdown in the divisional round loss to New England.
His best years appear to be behind him. But for a 49ers receiver room led by marquee free-agent signing Mike Evans and largely bolstered by unproven youth, namely Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing, Kirk offers experienced depth. Former first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall and Demarcus Robinson, entering his 11th season in the NFL, are under contract at the position.
The addition of Kirk further points to the likely departure of wideout Jauan Jennings, a 25-game starter over his past two seasons with the 49ers.
Niners guards weighing options: Spencer Burford and Ben Bartch, both of whom made starts at left guard for the 49ers last season, visited other teams on Monday. Burford met with the Chargers and Bartch with the Lions, according to the NFL transaction wire.
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Burford made nine starts at left guard in 2025. Bartch opened the season as the starter, but struggled to stay healthy. The Niners recently signed former Eagles reserve Brett Toth as a potential option at left guard, which remains a significant position of need for the team. Burford and Bartch are unrestricted free agents.