The Joey Bosa era might already be over. ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped a bombshell on his podcast this week, saying it is more likely than not that the five-time Pro Bowler has played his last NFL down.
“Joey Bosa has made so much money in his career that I think some people have wondered whether we will see him play in the NFL again,” Schefter said. “I think it is more likely than not that Joey Bosa has played his last NFL down.”
Bosa is 30, turns 31 in July, and is still unsigned with training camps about to open. The San Francisco 49ers have been the dream landing spot for months, mostly because his brother Nick is already there. But the 49ers have not pulled the trigger, and Schefter thinks that tells you everything.
“Could a situation like the 49ers come along that entices him enough to come out and play again? Yeah, absolutely,” Schefter added. “But the fact of the matter is, I think if the Niners wanted to pair those two together, it probably would have happened already.”
The money explains a lot. Bosa has banked over $150 million in his career. Nick Bosa recently told reporters his brother is more focused on his golf game than his NFL future. That is not the quote of a player who is itching to get back in pads.
Bosa spent last year with the Buffalo Bills and collected five sacks in 15 games. Solid, not spectacular. He only had one sack in the second half of the season. The body has taken 10 years of pounding, and the production is no longer good enough to demand the kind of paycheck he is used to.
If this is the end, it is a Hall of Fame conversation. Five Pro Bowls, the 2016 Defensive Rookie of the Year, multiple All Pro nods, and 76.5 career sacks. The Chargers got a franchise pass rusher for nine seasons before he hit Buffalo last year.
San Francisco fans should not hold their breath. John Lynch already admitted money was a roadblock in any potential reunion. The 49ers are stretched thin against the cap, and they would have to construct a very specific deal to bring Joey aboard. Schefter does not think it is happening.
For now, Joey Bosa is on the golf course while his brother prepares for another season as the face of the 49ers defense. That should tell you all you need to know.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
