Wreaking havoc on opposing offensive lines and chasing down quarterbacks is a family business for Nick and Joey Bosa.
Their father, John Bosa, was a defensive end for the Dolphins in the late '80s, and he passed down his most ferocious genes to his sons. Nick Bosa is getting ready to face the Chiefs as a standout rookie defensive end for the 49ers, while Joey Bosa has proven himself to be one of the NFL's best edge rushers when healthy as a member of the Chargers.
They can now reasonably claim to be the best pair of brothers in the NFL, something the younger Nick Bosa did earlier this week at Super Bowl media availability.
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REPORTER: Who's the best tandem of brothers in the NFL?
— KNBR (@KNBR) January 28, 2020
*slowly leans into mic*
BOSA: Bosas pic.twitter.com/J0GGCkDXkI
Joey Bosa, drafted No. 3 in the 2016 NFL Draft, has accumulated 40 sacks in his first four seasons despite missing 13 games to injury. Nick Bosa, picked No. 2 in the 2019 NFL Draft, racked up nine sacks in the regular season and has three so far in the postseason of his first year in the league.
What makes them so good? Size, explosiveness off the line and an array of moves to glide around or burst through blockers. Beyond injuries, they have displayed few weaknesses at any level.
Nick Bosa views Joey Bosa as a model figure from whom he can learn new techniques. Joey thinks Nick could one day surpass him in terms of on-field production.
"He's an absolute monster," Joey Bosa said of his younger sibling.
It may surprise some that neither Bosa is particularly loud or rowdy off the field. They tend to speak in low tones, their slight Floridian accents offering little indication of the beasts they become in the heat of competitive action.
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Once bitter sibling rivals, they've grown close since high school, when their football careers overlapped for a season at St. Thomas Aquinas.
Joey Bosa has led the way since then, his own standout career at Ohio State coming right before Nick Bosa dominated Big Ten linemen in similar fashion. Between them, they provided the Buckeyes with 43.5 sacks from 2013 through 2018.
Each has offered excellence in the NFL — and there's a mutual dream that they will one day get to play for the same organization at the highest level. The lead-up to San Francisco's Super Bowl matchup with the high-powered offense of the Chiefs has offered a tast of what that might be like for the brothers.
Joey Bosa, of course, plays in the AFC West, where he gets to face Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes twice per year. So, he's been a crucial scout for Nick Bosa to rely on as the younger brother attempts to secure a championship ring.
"We're going to be talking," Nick Bosa said. "He has pretty good input on these guys. He's going to give me everything that he could give me and it's up to me to go use it."