Will brothers Joey and Nick Bosa be reunited on the San Francisco 49ers? The prospects aren’t looking too good.

Defensive star Joey Bosa’s NFL career may already be over.

His brother Nick Bosa, a defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers, expressed doubts back in May that his older brother would be playing in the NFL in 2026, emphasizing that Joey “doesn’t think too much about football” and is instead focusing on improving his golf game.

“ESPN” expert Adam Schefter fueled retirement speculation on his podcast regarding the chances that both brothers could play together: “It’s more likely than not that Joey Bosa has played his last NFL down.”

However, a comeback cannot be ruled out entirely: “Could a situation like the one with the 49ers arise again—one that’s enticing enough for him to get back on the field and play? Yes, definitely. We saw that last year with Philip Rivers, so you never know when a player is truly done and when he isn’t,” Schefter emphasized.

The expert added a caveat, however: “But the fact is: I think if the Niners wanted to bring those two together, it probably would have happened a long time ago. I think if Joey Bosa wanted to play football, it probably would have happened a long time ago.”

Joey Bosa to the 49ers? Bosa speaks plainly

Bosa was drafted third overall in 2016 by the then-San Diego Chargers and recorded 72 sacks in nine seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. Last season, he recorded five sacks with the Buffalo Bills.

For years, the now 30-year-old was one of the NFL’s best edge rushers, having recorded double-digit sacks in four of his first six seasons.

However, Bosa’s NFL career has been marred by numerous injuries: In five of his first eight seasons, he missed four or more games each season. Although the veteran has remained relatively injury-free over the past two seasons—missing just five games during that span—his efficiency and sack totals simply aren’t what they used to be.

John Lynch, the 49ers’ general manager, acknowledged in March that salary would also be an obstacle to the older Bosa brother joining San Francisco: “I know Mama Bosa would love that, but I don’t know if we can afford him.”

Recently, Head Coach Kyle Shanahan also expressed limited optimism about reuniting the two Bosa brothers: “I love signing good players. Here’s how I see our team: We have our team, and anyone else we can sign—especially someone like him—would be great. But that’s not always possible.”