Getty J.J. Watt during Super Bowl 57 week on February 9, 2023. in Phoenix.
The calendar has now reached Wednesday, September 5 and the NFL season is officially one day away — but the San Francisco 49ers wer still without Nick Bosa.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network provided the latest details involving the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday morning, revealing how Bosa isn’t even inside the 49ers building for meetings.
But now, per Rapoport on Wednesday afternoon, the holdout has come to an end.
Sources: The #49ers and All-Pro edge Nick Bosa have agreed to terms on a massive new contract extension, with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year becoming the highest paid pass-rusher in the NFL.
Bosa’s holdout is over, as he gets a 5-year, $170M deal.
Bosa’s deal wasn’t just a wide-ranging conversation for NFL analysts. Even J.J. Watt chimed in.
Watt Answers if Bosa is Deserving of a New Deal
Speaking on The Dan Patrick Show Wednesday morning, Watt let it be known that Bosa is indeed deserving of a new deal — and deserving to be the highest paid defender.
“Yes, because that’s how the league works,” Watt said. “It’s his time, he’s up for a contract right now and that’s how this league works. If you’re up, you deserve the highest contract and he deserves the highest contract.”
Bosa and the 49ers remain in a lengthy negotiation phase that has prevented the All-Pro defender from being with the team for training camp, the preseason and during the week’s preparation against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The holdup, per Rapoport on Tuesday, is that while Bosa has a deal that’s expected to be more than the Steelers’ T.J. Watt in the edge rusher group, there’s still a dilemma of getting the 49er a contract that surpasses what Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams makes as “A.D.” holds the title of league’s highest paid defender.
“It’s extremely complicated in trying to figure out where Donald’s contract came in would get this deal done. But the two sides have had a disconnect with how this is configured,” Rapoport said on NFL Insiders Tuesday.
From The Insiders on NFL+: The clock also ticks for the #49ers and star edge Nick Bosa…
Watt Shares Who he Thinks is Most Important Between Bosa and Chris Jones
Bosa isn’t the only highly-publicized contract holdout on the defensive side.
The Super Bowl defending champion Kansas City Chiefs are currently without their top defensive lineman Chris Jones. And it’s the Chiefs who help kick off the 2023 season this Thursday, September 6 with the Detroit Lions in town.
Patrick threw the fastball question at Watt: Who’s a bigger loss for their team right now between Bosa and the Super Bowl 57 champion Jones?
“Man, that’s a really good one,” Watt began. “But I think the overall better player if you’re taking their whole game out of the two, I think Bosa.”
That doesn’t mean Watt isn’t overlooking the value Jones has brought to the Chiefs.
“But for what he means for that team, I say Chris Jones right now especially with that Lions running game,” Watt said. “Chris Long talked about it yesterday: With the Lions running game and what could happen on Thursday night, this could be a proving point for him in his negotiations, this could be a proving point for him in his negotiations that he can say ‘Hey this is what I bring that you guys didn’t have on Thursday night.'”
As for who he believes is the best pass rusher in the league, Watt stayed inside his family tree for that one and anointed his younger brother as the past pass rusher. However, his personal list of top edge rushers not from the Watt household include Bosa, Micah Parsons, Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby — citing that the class of NFL edge rushers is a deep class.