Though the standoff between the San Francisco 49ers and star defensive end Nick Bosa turned out to be one of the least acrimonious contract disputes in NFL history, it has now entered its 29th day.
While Bosa stayed at home, in Fort Lauderdale, FlaHaving been away from the team since the start of the training camp, there was no sign of frustration on either side. Nothing was deleted from Bosa’s Instagram account. There are no trade requests. No warning shots were fired in the media. Nothing.
For most of the month that the Bosa boycott has been going on, neither side has expressed any doubt that an agreement will eventually be reached. Almost nothing was said, either in public or off the mic, with General Manager John Lynch noting at the start of the training camp that the organization and Brian Ayrault-Bosa’s agent would keep the negotiations private.
When either Lynch or coach Kyle Shanahan received questions about Bosa, they reiterated that he was ready to pick up where he left off.
“I don’t know if Bosa has ever been to training camp, and he’s pretty good,” said Shanahan. “It’s a little bit different when you’re a defensive lineman. Everyone loves the people here, and you want to do those things, but from a defensive point of view, it doesn’t affect the team that much. I have as much faith in Nick as anyone else.” I’m the best player I’ve ever been with. In terms of the way it’s built and everything. I know they will do well on both sides, and I look forward to the moment when I see it.”
Nevertheless, with the start of the regular season on September 10th against the Pittsburgh Steelers, one may well ask when the Defensive Player of the Year will be awarded by the NFL to your club.
“Hopefully sooner rather than later,” Shanahan admitted Tuesday.
Why isn’t Nick Bosa with the 49ers?
Bosa will soon begin his fifth and final year of his rookie contract. Last season, he was eligible to negotiate an extension, but he and the franchise agreed to put the extension on hold until this year. This decision paid off greatly for Bosa, who was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in 2022 with 18.5 sacks and 58 quarterback hurries (third in the league).
This also put Bosa in position to become the league’s highest-paid defensive player. NFL. That’s an opinion the Niners don’t dispute, meaning it’s simply a matter of finding what Lynch describes as the “sweet spot” who can give Bosa what he deserves while also making sure that’s the case when it comes to your salary cap situation.
With deals of this magnitude, there are many moving parts to consider, including signing bonuses, squad bonuses, full warranties, injury guarantees, incentives, contract length, and contract structure. At 25, it’s not unrealistic to assume Bosa could land another big deal in four or five years.
All of this goes into the calculation of this contract.
What kind of contract could Nick Bosa get?
In 2020, Bosa’s brother Joey Bosa co-signed a five-year, $135 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, which he also negotiated with Ayrault. At the time, it was the largest defensive back contract in league history. NFL.
Nick Bosa has said he’s not overly concerned about taking his turn as the highest-paid defensive player in history, but that’s still the expectation. This in turn means that any deal needs to go beyond defensive tackle Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams, as measured by the average annual value ($31.67 million per season), and the outside linebacker of the Steelers, TJ Watts, with total guarantees of $80 million. The question never seemed to be whether Bosa would exceed those expectations, but by how much.
Will Nick Bosa be fined for his absence?
According to the collective agreement of NFL players, players in Bosa’s situation can be fined up to $40,000 for missing practice. However, since Bosa keeps his rookie contract, the employment contract allows the 49ers to waive those fines, which Lynch says the 49ers will do.
“I don’t think it’s really necessary (well, Bosa),” Lynch said. “That won’t bring him here. We’re both looking for the same thing, so that’s what we’re going to focus on.
Is there a deadline to reach an agreement with Nick Bosa?
Unlike, for example, the franchise player day, there is no deadline to complete the contract extension with Bosa. Of course, the regular season starts on September 10th, and the Niners would love to get him back in time to get back into football shape. He never intended to play pre-season games, so those missed replays don’t matter.
Staying in shape wasn’t a problem for Bosa either, and one of the reasons he didn’t mind waiting for San Francisco is because the team knows he’ll return in good form. But Lynch has also pointed out that it took him about three weeks during his tenure to prepare for the attrition of the season. While not necessarily what Bosa is asking for, we’ve passed the three-week window.
“I needed that to prepare,” Lynch said. “I don’t know what the right period is (for Bosa), but I think it’s important to give yourself the best chance not only to play at the highest level but also to stay healthy and be ready and prepared.”
Schematically, Bosa has not seen the new defensive coordinator. Steve Wilks, with the exception of days during the obligatory mini-campne But, Wilks You’re not making any major schematic changes, and what you’re asking Bosa isn’t going to change either.
“You’ve been here longer than me and seen it from afar, but I think when I come back it will be good,” he admitted. Wilks.
