Despite both going to Ohio State and both joining the NFL, brothers Nick Bosa and Joey Bosa have never gotten to play on the same team.

The San Francisco 49ers have an opportunity to bring them together after Joey Bosa was released by the Los Angeles Chargers. Uniting the brothers on their defensive line isn’t just a potentially cool story. It also makes a ton of sense for a 49ers club that badly needs pass rush help.

Joey will turn 30 in July and is entering his 10th NFL season after being selected in the first round of the 2016 draft by the Chargers. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2016 and then turned in five Pro Bowl seasons, however his production has dipped the last three years as injuries have mounted.

The elder Bosa has played just 28 games across the last three seasons, but 14 of those games came in 2024.

Those injury red flags could diminish Bosa’s market and give the 49ers an avenue for a potential bargain on the defensive line. Despite his health woes, he’s managed to put up 81 pressures, 16 sacks and 17 QB hits in 690 pass rush snaps over the last three years.

If the 49ers can add the other Bosa to their defensive line as part of a significant overhaul at defensive end, it would open the door to limit his role and better manage his injury issues. The prospect of adding a player like Bosa, who averaged 9.6 sacks per year for his first six seasons, is enticing. If his market doesn’t inflate to an unmanageable level, the 49ers should be firmly in the mix to bring him to the Bay Area to join his brother on the same team for the first time since high school.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers should sign Nick Bosa’s brother after Chargers release him