Potential free agent target for the Bucs may not play in 2026
· Yahoo Sports
The list of veteran pass rushers still available in free agency may have gotten a little shorter, at least according to one prominent NFL insider.
In a report for NBC Sports, Josh Alper highlighted comments from ESPN's Adam Schefter, who believes Joey Bosa is unlikely to play during the 2026 season despite remaining unsigned. Schefter made the remarks while discussing whether Bosa could eventually join his younger brother, Nick Bosa, with the San Francisco 49ers.
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"It is more likely than not that Joey Bosa has played his last NFL down," Schefter said. "Now, again, could a situation like the 49ers come along that entices him enough to come out and play again? Yeah, absolutely. We saw it happen last year with Philip Rivers, so you never know when a player is fully done and when he's not done. But the fact of the matter is, I think if the Niners wanted to pair those two together, it probably would have happened already. I think if Joey Bosa wanted to play football, it probably would have happened already."
Those comments add to what Nick Bosa said earlier this offseason, when he revealed his older brother was not "thinking too much about football" and had instead been focused on improving his golf game.
For the Buccaneers, the report is notable because Bosa had been viewed as one of the top veteran pass rushers still available on the open market. Tampa Bay addressed its biggest need at edge rusher by selecting Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but adding an experienced veteran remained a possibility if the right opportunity presented itself.
Bosa's career résumé suggests he could still help an NFL defense if he decides to continue playing. The former first-round pick recorded 72 sacks across nine seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers before adding five more sacks during the 2025 campaign with the Buffalo Bills.
Retirement has not been officially announced, so there is still a chance Bosa returns if the right situation develops. Based on Schefter's comments, however, that scenario appears far less likely than it did earlier this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Potential free agent target for the Bucs may not play in 2026