The San Francisco 49ers might be active on the free agent market this weekend thanks to All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa. Well, sort of.
Bosa, the No. 2 overall pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, has racked up 278 tackles, 168 QB hits, 64.5 sacks and 13 forced fumbles in his career. Unfortunately, his 2025 season was cut short due to a torn ACL.
"You don't just replace a guy like Nick," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "Everyone's got to continue to get better at everything. When you lose your better players, it gets harder. But throughout this year, I expect all of our players to get better as it goes. And that's stressed even that much more when you lose a great one like Nick."
While there's no question Bosa will be on San Francisco's 53-man roster when the 2026 season begins, the front office made an interesting change to his contract this Saturday.
According to Spotrac, the 49ers have cleared $17.1 million in 2026 cap space by converting $21.4 million of Bosa's salary into a signing bonus.
Sep 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) on the field during warm ups prior to a game against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
What's next for the 49ers?
Now that John Lynch has more cap space to work with, 49ers fans are convinced he'll target Joey Bosa. Some are even hoping he'll pull off a blockbuster trade for Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.
"That must mean 1 or 2 things. We trading for an edge rusher or we getting his brother," a 49ers fan wrote on social media.
"Don't think the org would do this for only Joey Bosa, I smell something bigger like Maxx," a second fan said.
"Definitely expecting Joey Bosa to come to the 9ers now…maybe another splash signing?" another fan commented.
The 49ers are definitely in "win-now mode," so it makes sense for the front office to be aggressive. Will they go after a big-time name or just add depth to their roster? Only time will tell.
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