The relationship between the San Francisco 49ers and their promising star, Nick Bosa, continued to deteriorate in the preseason due to the ongoing drama regarding his contract. The defensive end missed the team’s mandatory minicamp and even preferred to stay out of the squad during San Francisco’s preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
After being selected by the 49ers as the second overall pick during the 2019 NFL Draft, Bosa signed a 4-year, $33.5 million deal with the team, with a $22.5 million signing bonus and a fifth-year option. As the young star enters the final year of his contract, a not-so-big amount is reportedly blocking his way to stay longer in San Francisco.
Nick Bosa and 49ers reportedly have $4 million-per-year deal disagreement
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Nick and the 49ers are reportedly “less than $4 million per year” apart in their contract negotiations. He noted the Ohio State product is set to become the highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL, although his desire to be the highest-paid non-quarterback of all time remains a question.
“We can start with Nick Bosa, who isn’t going anywhere for a long time. The question is whether he’s going to be the highest-paid non-quarterback of all time—he’ll be the highest-paid edge rusher. The difference between the two distinctions is less than $4 million per year, and the Niners and Bosa’s people have been trying to bridge that gap for a while now,” he wrote.
San Francisco’s general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan earlier clarified their intention of not trading the 25-year-old anytime soon. Breer also noted the franchise is toiling hard on an artificial deadline at the start of the season to sign the footballer. Nick is coming off a phenomenal NFL season after leading the NFL in sacks (18.5), and hence, the 49ers might leave no stone unturned to enroll him on the roster for a potential Super Bowl run.
Is Nick Bosa out for the 49ers’ Week 1 game against the Steelers?
San Francisco is set to face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first game of the regular season in nine days. With Bosa’s holdout still ongoing, the hope of having him at the helm is becoming more blurry. Even the team’s head coach Kyle Shanahan is keeping his fingers crossed to avoid the blow of not having such a destructive weapon at this crucial time.
“Yeah, I can imagine anything. Doesn’t mean I like that picture. Of course not. You guys know how we feel about Nick, and we all know how good of a player he is. So hopefully we can come to terms soon and get him here as fast as possible”, he said.
While appearing on San Francisco sports radio station 95.7 The Game, Mike Yam of NFL Network couldn’t hold back from taking a dig at the 49ers for their indifference to paying the defensive star his expected salary.
“I actually think that this is the most underreported story in the NFL..I don’t get how this is not done. And I know that this is a ridiculous oversimplification of all of this stuff, but he’s the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He is one of the leaders of your football team. And you’re ready to go and get to a Super Bowl and potentially go and win it. Don’t you just make (Bosa) the (highest-paid) defensive player in the league?”
Undoubtedly, Shanahan’s squad’s odds of winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy this season will suffer a huge blow if Bosa isn’t available on the roster.
What’s your take on this development? Do you think that the 49ers are only inviting trouble for themselves by lingering on the contract? Let’s have a discussion in the comment section.
