Forget Joey Bosa: Should the San Francsico 49ers Target Maxx Crosby?

If the San Francisco 49ers were to add some pass rush assistance ahead of the 2026 NFL season, one of their superstars has a free agent brother who'd fit perfectly. 

But due to thoughts of retirement on his part and a lack of financial freedom on the franchise's part, Nick Bosa's brother, Joey, remains unsigned. 

But what if the older Bosa wasn't the target to bolster the Niners' edge room? What if GM John Lynch took a major swing and tried to pry Maxx Crosby away from the Las Vegas Raiders (again)?

That's exactly what Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport believes, in the wake of the Los Angeles Rams' addition of Myles Garrett, San Francisco should do. 

Below is Davenport's mock framework for this blockbuster:

San Francisco 49ers Receive: Maxx Crosby

Las Vegas Raiders Receive: 2027 Round 1 Pick, 2028 Round 2 Pick, Mykel Williams

That's a steep price to pay for Crosby, who is coming off a torn meniscus, but would be somewhat in line with the compensation we've seen the last two superstar pass rushers fetch as return packages, those of course being Garrett and Micah Parsons. 

"For the 49ers it's a chance to match the Los Angeles Rams (or come close) in an NFC West arms race that escalated after the Myles Garrett deal and add some pop to a pass rush facing multiple questions as we head toward training camp," Davenport wrote. 

This would certainly signal that the Niners are "all in" and primed to dethrone the Rams and Seattle Seahawks at the top of the NFC West, but it may not be necessary. 

San Francisco's addition of former Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizua should greatly improve the overall pass rush, giving the unit an anchor in the middle to help free up Bosa and Williams. 

Plus, many of the Niners' stars are aging and injury-prone. Who's to say that, in two years, if San Francisco still hasn't broken through, Lynch decides to begin selling off assets to prepare for a rebuild? 

Is that likely? No. Is it possible? Absolutely. 

Should it come to that point, the capital that's hypothetically being sent out to bring Crosby to the Bay Area would be crucial to the franchise's future. 

I don't hate the suggestion of a big-time trade to shore up the defense before training camp, but that's too high a price to pay to bank on Crosby returning to his pre-injury form, given what could be at stake for the Niners.