While the San Francisco 49ers had a slow start, they wound up spending a ton of money this offseason. Brock Purdy was the headliner as the quarterback cashed in on a five-year, $265 million contract. George Kittle also got rewarded with a four-year, $76.4 million contract and Fred Warner likely ensured he will end his career in San Francisco with a three-year, $63 million extension.
But while general manager John Lynch threw a bunch of money around this month, it might be the money the 49ers didn’t spend that denies their season. That includes a “dream target” that many 49ers fans were eyeing at the beginning of free agency, which has turned into a nightmare as teams begin offseason team activities and workouts this week.
49ers Free Agent Target Joey Bosa Suffers Injury Before Bills OTAs
According to Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, newly signed edge rusher Joey Bosa pulled his calf during offseason conditioning and will be sidelined throughout OTAs. The injury is significant enough that McDermott doesn’t expect Bosa to return until training camp, leaving Buffalo without one of its premier free agent acquisitions.
Of course, this could have happened in a San Francisco uniform. Joey Bosa was linked to the 49ers via his brother, Nick Bosa, after the former was released by the Los Angeles Chargers in February. While having two Bosas on each end of the defense would have been a fun storyline, Joey ultimately decided to sign with the Bills on a one-year, $12.6 million contract.
Now that Joey Bosa is out until training camp, the 49ers can enjoy their actual plan. San Francisco selected Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams with the 11th overall pick in last month’s draft and he’s already drawn positive reviews in the early stages of offseason workouts. Williams also brings a bigger financial benefit if he pans out as he begins a four-year, $24.94 million rookie contract with a fifth-year option.
With Purdy’s cap hit jumping from $9.1 million in 2025 to $24.7 million in 2026, the 49ers will need to find value elsewhere on the roster to remain competitive. That makes a reunion of the Bosa brothers best suited for a game of Madden and the 49ers better suited to move forward with Nick Bosa and his new partner.