Nick Bosa prolonged holdout is over. The reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year has agreed to a five-year, $170 million extension with the 49ers.
Rapoport added that the deal includes $122.5 million in guarantees. And that San Francisco will waive all penalties incurred during Bosa’s holdout.
Nick Bosa is now the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history with an average salary of $34 million, besting Aaron Donald’s $31.7 million with the Rams.
Bosa sat out all of training camp and the preseason. Remaining away from the club pending an extension after a career-best 2022 season.
To protect his biggest asset – his health – he trained on his own. While contract negotiations progressed, but they took longer than his coaches included.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted on August 30 that he believed Bosa would be back with the team by the end of the preseason. But it took the two sides until days before San Francisco’s regular-season opener against the Steelers to finally reach an agreement.
Shanahan told reporters Wednesday that he’s not sure how much Nick Bosa will be able to play during Sunday’s game.
“We’re going to be smart with it and it’s going to be based on the next 2 1/2 practices,” Shanahan said.
But Shanahan left no doubt that Bosa would be fit for Week 1, joking that Bosa “would have to have a beer belly and be out of shape” to miss the opener, per NBC Sports Bay Area.
Based on Bosa’s production over the past two seasons, the record contract money has been well spent.
After suffering an ACL tear in Week 2 of the 2020 season. Bosa has been on an absolute tear on the field over the past two years, racking up 34 sacks, 40 tackles and 6 forced fumbles for loss.
He earned his first All-Pro selection to go along with his DPOY honors in 2022. Setting up a prime period in which Bosa could capitalize on his rise.
San Francisco doesn’t pay significant amounts to keep everyone around, but Nick Bosa was never a question for this team.
New Zealand beat England Cricket Team by 74 runs in 3rd T20
The 49ers have relied heavily on their defense during their run of success under Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, and Bosa is their best defender.