There are several examples of successful brothers in the NFL. Travis Kelce and brother Jason faced off in last year's Super Bowl, with their mom Donna rocking a Hall of Fame-worthy jersey to support them both. J.J. Watt retired after last season, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards over a 12-year career. His brother T.J. also won a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021 and has made five Pro Bowls; their brother Derek is currently a free agent but has played every year since 2016.
Yet no brothers have been quite as productive — and lucrative — as Joey and Nick Bosa.
The San Francisco 49ers just gave Nick Bosa a contract extension worth $170 million over five seasons. The deal includes $122.5 million guaranteed, which is an NFL record for a non-quarterback.
Nick Bosa high-fiving 49ers fans (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
And who did Nick surpass to set that record? His older brother Joey, who inked an extension with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020. That contract was for $135 million over five seasons, with $102 million in guaranteed money — then a record for a defensive player.
Collectively, the Bosas will make at least a collective $224.5 million by the end of the 2027 season. And if they each play out their contracts — not a bad bet based on how their careers have gone so far — they'll earn $305 million between them.
They likely won't be done earning by then, either. Joey is 28, and Nick will turn 26 this season. They'll both be eligible for their next contracts when they're 31 years old. For comparison, Watt was 33 years old when he announced his retirement, but he had suffered several extensive injuries by that point in his career.
Nick has had an ACL tear, and Joey has had a few health obstacles, most recently a groin injury that required surgery and limited him to five regular-season games.
As they get older, injuries may slow them down. But if they can remain relatively healthy and the salary cap continues increasing, they could very well hit a combined $500 million in career earnings.
Brotherly love is great and all, but financial love ain't too shabby, either.
