According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers have signed their best defensive player, defensive end Nick Bosa, to a five-year, $170 million contract extension that includes a massive $122.5 million guaranteed, keeping the pass rusher with the team through the 2028 season.
Source: Nick Bosa has agreed to a five-year, $170 million extension with the San Francisco 49ers, including $122.5 million guaranteed, by a wide margin. It will make him the highest-paid defensive player in history. pic.twitter.com/bRm6S9Eemf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 6, 2023
The signing comes just days ahead of the 49ers' Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers and on day 44 of the talented pass rusher's holdout.
Bosa did not report with his teammates at the start of training camp on July 25. That didn't surprise head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, who anticipated the talented defender wouldn't show up without the security of a deal to sign.
"You're talking about a real special player," Lynch said at the start of training camp. "You're talking about one of the better players in the league. You could argue that could simplify things, but I think at times it's just finding that sweet spot and where is the right spot, and we're committed to working towards that."
Most felt a deal would be finalized much earlier. However, the 49ers head coach anticipated lengthy negotiations.
"It's going pretty much exactly how I expected it to go," Kyle Shanahan said this week. "It's kind of just been exactly what I thought. ... Yeah, I had a feeling it would [take this long]."
San Francisco drafted Bosa (6-4, 266) out of Ohio State with the No. 2 overall pick in 2019. He registered 51 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, 48 quarterback hits, a league-leading 18.5 sacks, a pass defensed, and two forced fumbles through 16 starts with the 49ers last season, per Pro Football Reference. The impressive performance earned him NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.
"I don't like not having one of our best players here," Lynch said on July 31. "We've got a really good track record that I'm proud of as a group of having our players in. But I also understand it, and understand that we're going to have to exhibit some patience, and understand that, ultimately, this thing will work out. I'm very confident in that."
The defender's overall Pro Football Focus grade of 90.9, pass-rush grade of 90.9, and tackle grade of 71.4 in 2022 were all career highs. His 90 pressures last season tied with Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys for the most in the NFL, while his 30 quarterback hits led the league.
"The work ethic that [Bosa] has, most importantly, is just across the board," defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said in May. "The standard is set here. These guys work extremely hard, and I'm so impressed just watching those guys work even in phase one.
"I would just watch the individual period every day and just see how they work at all three levels of the defense, and Bosa is a leader of that. He exemplifies that each and every day."
Bosa, 25, has recorded 156 tackles, 56 tackles for a loss, 106 quarterback hits, 43 sacks, four passes defensed, an interception, and eight forced fumbles in 51 game appearances (49 starts) through his four NFL seasons. He was named a first-team All-Pro in 2022 and is a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
