The San Francisco 49ers still have some salary cap space to use this offseason, even before the 2026 NFL draft. San Francisco has an estimated $26.95 million in effective cap space, per Over the Cap, which accounts for a full 51-man roster as well as a full draft class.
This doesn’t mean general manager John Lynch will spend lavishly for the rest of the offseason. And he went so far as to almost deny the possibility of signing a high-profile free agent that many have linked to the 49ers: edge rusher Joey Bosa.
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The connections are obvious: Bosa is the older brother of 49ers star edge rusher Nick Bosa, and he would help fill out the injured defensive line that is reeling from injuries heading into 2026. The younger Bosa and 2025 first-rounder Mykell Williams are both recovering from ACL injuries, and Keion White is recovering from a gunshot wound.
Nevertheless, Lynch told reporters that, “I know Mama Bosa would love that, but I don’t know if we can afford him.”
This could mean one of a few things.
Since Bosa signed a one-year, $12.6 million deal with the Buffalo Bills in 2025, it stands to reason he wants around that number again despite being a year older. Bosa played 15 games in 2025 with five sacks and five forced fumbles. So, either Lynch has no intention of paying upward of $12 million for Bosa or he’s trying to publicly negotiate a cheaper deal.
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He could also just not be interested in Bosa at all and is using the price tag as an excuse.
We won’t know for sure until Bosa signs elsewhere. But, for now, it looks like their won’t be a Bosa reunion in San Francisco.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL free agency: 49ers GM throws cold water on potential signing