Many are wondering what the future holds for free-agent edge rusher Joey Bosa. As it turns out, it might be retirement.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter weighed in on the possibility of Bosa joining forces with his brother Nick to play for the San Francisco 49ers in 2026 on the most recent episode of his podcast.

Schefter revealed that it’s more likely the five-time Pro Bowler retires rather than playing an 11th season.

“It is more likely than not that Joey Bosa has played his last NFL down,” Schefter said. “Now, again, coudl a situation like the 49ers come along that entices him enough to come out and play again? Yeah, absolutely. We saw it happen with Philip Rivers.

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“So, you never know when a player is fully done and when he’s not done. But the fact of the matter is, I think if the Niners wanted to pair those two together, it probably would have happened already.”

Bosa might view the chance to play with his brother Nick as enticing enough to put off retirement for, but it appears the Niners simply can’t afford him.

A family reunion in San Francisco?

A Joey and Nick Bosa pairing has been talked about for years now and the NFL world thought it would finally happen in 2026.

After all, the Niners had a need at edge rusher and Bosa has remained available on the open market.

However, general manager John Lynch admitted money was a roadblock for the other Bosa brother coming to San Francisco.

“I know Mama Bosa would love that, but I don’t know if we can afford him,” Lynch said in April.

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More recently, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t sound too optimistic that we’d get to see the Bosa brothers playing together.

“I love signing good players,” Shanahan said when asked about Bosa. “I look at our team as, we kind of have our team, and anyone else we can figure out to bring, especially someone like that, that would be awesome. But that stuff’s not always possible.”

Joey Bosa’s decline

A former No. 3 overall pick of the then-San Diego Chargers, Bosa was once considered one of the better edge rushers in the NFL after posting double-digit sacks in four of his first six seasons.

But Bosa’s career has been marred by injury, with the Ohio State product missing four or more contests in five of his first eight seasons in the NFL.

The veteran has managed to stay relatively healthy over the past two seasons, missing five games in that span, but his sack production just hasn’t been the same.

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Bosa has posted 10 sacks over the previous two seasons, including five for the Buffalo Bills in 2025. The 30-year-old only tallied one sack in the second half of the regular season, though, and was blanked during Buffalo’s postseason run.

Bosa will only be turning 31 in July, but he’s an older 31 than many guys his age given his injury history, which makes him a risk for any team that signs him.

For now, it looks like we might have seen the last of Bosa in the NFL.