49ers urged to sign 'perfect fill-in' while Mykel Williams recovers

The San Francisco 49ers battled through several key injuries last season, including losses to defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams. The injuries contributed to a pass rush that struggled to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks.

Bosa suffered a torn ACL in Week 3, while Williams went down with the same injury in Week 9. Bosa appears to be on track for the start of the 2026 NFL season, but Williams' later injury timeline could delay his return.

Although the 49ers used a third-round draft pick on edge rusher Romello Height, Bleacher Report writer Alex Kay believes San Francisco could still benefit from adding another proven pass rusher before training camp.

Unsurprisingly, Kay is the latest to connect Joey Bosa to the 49ers.

"The San Francisco 49ers may not be the most obvious choice for Joey Bosa due to their pre-existing talent in the defensive trenches, but the team could hugely benefit from adding the grizzled edge defender," Kay wrote.

A potential signing would reunite Joey Bosa with his younger brother, Nick, a storyline that has repeatedly surfaced throughout the offseason.

In addition to bringing the brothers together—an intriguing storyline—Kay believes Joey Bosa could serve as the ideal temporary replacement for Williams while the young defender continues recovering from his ACL injury.

"With Williams coming off a torn ACL and not guaranteed to be ready for the start of the season, the elder Bosa could be the perfect fill-in," Kay wrote. "Sam Okuayinonu currently profiles as Williams' replacement for Week 1, which is a less-than-ideal situation that San Francisco should try to avoid by signing a more talented edge-rusher.

"Don't forget that the 49ers have been dealing with a slew of injury-related defensive attrition in recent years, making it critically important to add more depth before training camp begins."

According to OverTheCap.com, the 49ers currently have nearly $70 million in salary cap space, giving the team flexibility to pursue a short-term deal for Bosa if they believe the move would strengthen their defensive front.

Still, San Francisco is likely cautious about committing significant money to the five-time Pro Bowler. After all, Bosa has recorded just five sacks in each of the past two seasons and is entering the later stages of his NFL career.