Getty Nick Bosa pursues David Blough on January 8, 2023.
The last time the San Francisco 49ers didn’t have Nick Bosa? That was back on October 16, 2022.
Nearly one year later, the Niners are facing the possibility of not having the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year for the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bosa’s absence amid his pending contract extension has hovered above a team with Super Bowl aspirations. One insider gave some new details on the morning of Tuesday, September 5 on where things now stand with Bosa — which includes revealing there’s been a “disconnect” with one aspect of the deal.
Where Are Things Now With Bosa? Is There ‘Disconnect?’
Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Bosa’s contract has also had family involvement.
“The Bosa’s take their value extremely seriously. From the top, from the father, to Joey Bosa, to Nick Bosa. If there’s one family that can ever hold out into the season — and I don’t know if that’s going to happen — but this is one family that believes what they believe and will take that stand like essentially Nick Bosa has done,” Rapoport said.
Many NFL fans have thought a deal like the one Bosa was due for would be easy to take care of, especially with his career-best 2022 season that led to his first career NFL Defensive Player of the Year nod. Rapoport, though, stated that deals like this are not the easiest to handle or construct.
“This is a hard contract to do,” Rapoport said.
As it turns out, the 49ers happen to be over the mark of one edge rusher they’ll likely see Sunday.
“My understanding is the 49ers are already over $30 million per year. They’re already over T.J. Watt. Bosa is going to be the highest paid pass rusher in the NFL. That is not the question,” Rapoport said.
Yet the question remains, why hasn’t a deal been made? Rapoport points to a disconnect between the Niners and Bosa.
“But the biggest question is, does he beat Aaron Donald’s contract? That’s not just it. There was a $5 million roster bonus that Donald got when he decided not to retire. So how to account for that which is to spread it over the years. 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,” he said.
Pro Bowler Talanoa Hufanga Reveals Key Plan for Steelers on 49ers’ Side
Bosa’s time away from the Niners has sparked a reaction from Pro Bowl safety Talanoa Hufanga, which includes being asked what the plan is on the 49ers’ side without their top pass rusher.
The plan is a rather simple one: The 49ers are preparing like Bosa won’t be there.
“For us, we just got to play with who we got,” Hufanga told reporters in the 49ers locker room (h/t Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News) after Monday’s bonus practice. “We would love to have Bosa, obviously. I think that’s a no-brainer. Best defensive player in NFL, and it shows.”
Still, the plan on the Niners’ side is roll with everyone except No. 97 — and center the game plan around everyone else.
“For us, we’ve just got to prepare as if he’s not going to be here,” Hufanga continued. “Obviously, that’s an upper-echelon question; that’s a front-office question. And so, for me, I don’t know if I can answer anything else on that, but once he’s here, we’d love to have him.”