Nick Bosa had his San Francisco 49ers worried ahead of the start of the new season, but after finally putting pen to paper on a new contract, his delaying tactics paid dividends, with his new deal reportedly worth $170m over five years.
Last Updated: 06/09/23 11:52pm
Nick Bosa has been rewarded for his efforts with a new, lucrative deal
Nick Bosa’s lengthy contract holdout ended four days before the start of the season for the San Francisco 49ers when he agreed to a contract extension that will make him the NFL’s richest defensive player ever.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that the two sides agreed to the contract and that Bosa is on his way to the team facility. Now Shanahan is glad he can stop thinking about what it would be like for the Niners to open their season without their best defensive player.
“You try not to think about it much because it’s not really in my control and let the process play itself out,” Shanahan said. “As it went through the weekend, I just kind of got it in my mind that we weren’t playing with him.
“If I had gone back and forth, I would have been miserable. I just decided we weren’t. … It’s a hell of a bonus to get him here. We’re obviously really excited about it.”
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Shanahan said Bosa would have to show up with a “beer belly” and “be out of shape” not to play the season opener at Pittsburgh on Sunday but added that’s “not in Bosa’s DNA.”
The 49ers have had a strong history of rewarding their own stars, giving big extensions the past three summers to tight end George Kittle, Warner and receiver Deebo Samuel. But getting a deal done with Bosa proved to be more complicated.
ESPN first reported the extension and said it was worth $170m over five seasons with $122.5m guaranteed. The average annual payout of $34m tops the previous mark of $31.7 million for Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and the guarantees top the $102m Bosa’s older brother, Joey, got from the Chargers in 2020.