SANTA CLARA – Four years ago, as Joey and Nick Bosa worked out daily in their native Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the NFL’s ultimate pass-rushing brothers often talked about joining forces. They knew, however, that dream would fade once Joey got his record-setting extension from the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Hopefully maybe later in our careers we can get together,” Nick Bosa said in August 2020. “But we’re focused on our own paths right now.”
Those paths still are not meeting on the 49ers defensive line.
Joey Bosa restructured his contract and is remaining with the Chargers, ESPN reported Thursday, a day ahead of his scheduled $7 million roster bonus.
Last September, Nick Bosa secured the largest contract for an NFL defender, something his older brother did with the Chargers before the 2020 season in an extension that calls for salaries of $15 million and $17 million the next two seasons.
Joey Bosa’s eight-season tenure with the Chargers has been waylaid by injuries the past two years – groin surgery in 2022; toe fracture and foot sprain last year. He won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and made four Pro Bowls; matching those accolades is his younger brother, who also was the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
As rumors swirled this week of a potential Bosa pairing with the 49ers, their mother, Cheryl, pleaded in an Instagram story: “OMG! Do it for Mama.” Joey turns 29 on July 11; Nick turns 27 on October 23.
The 49ers have spent this week reworking their defensive line in other ways. Defensive ends Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos agreed to two-year contracts on Monday’s opening day of the free agency negotiating window.
Clelin Ferrell, a 17-game starter last year, left in free agency for Washington; Chase Young and Randy Gregory, both of whom were acquired in October trades, are free agents.
The defensive line’s interior, which welcomed Javon Hargrave in last year’s high-priced signing, is undergoing its own makeover. Nine-year veteran Arik Armstead got released Wednesday, and 2020 top pick Javon Kinlaw reportedly has agreed to a one-year deal with the Jets. Coming aboard in their place are Maliek Collins and Jordan Elliott, while Kevin Givens returns on a one-year contract.
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The 49ers agreed Wednesday to trade a seventh-round pick (No. 232 overall) to the Texans for Collins. A day earlier, Elliott agreed to a two-year contract as a free agent from the Cleveland Browns.
Coach Kyle Shanahan is turning that defensive front over to his fourth coordinator in five years, with Nick Sorensen replacing Steve Wilks, although the 49ers have yet to announce last month’s promotion for Sorensen, formerly their pass-game specialist and nickel backs coach.
That defense surely will get more reinforcements through free agency and next month’s draft, in which the 49ers own 11 picks. Other current options off the edge are Drake Jackson, Robert Beal Jr., Earnest Brown IV, Raymond Johnson III, Sam Okuayinonu and Alex Barrett; interior linemen include T.Y. McGill, Kalia Davis, and Spencer Waege. Sebastian Joseph-Day is a free agent, as is Randy Gregory.