49ers sign DE Nick Bosa to 5-year extension reportedly worth $170 million
The San Francisco 49ers and defensive end Nick Bosa agreed to a five-year extension, the team officially announced Friday. The deal is reportedly worth $170 million with $122.5 million in guaranteed money, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
It ends a 44-day holdout.
The deal will make Bosa the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history by average annual value after he led the NFL with 18.5 sacks and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. His $34 million annual salary is now ahead of Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald's $31.66 million annual salary and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end T.J. Watt's $28 million.
Bosa has the most sacks over the past two years (34) and the sixth-most sacks (43) since 2019. He missed most of the 2020 season after he tore his ACL in Week 2. Bosa has tallied 106 quarterback hits in the first four years of his career — third among all defensive players — as well. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 after the 49ers drafted him No. 2 overall out of Ohio State.
Bosa, who'll be 26 in October, held out for the entire 2023 training camp while he sought a new contract. The 49ers understood Bosa would likely skip training camp until the two sides agreed on an extension but adamantly denied they would trade Bosa. Now, with Week 1 days away, the 49ers have their star back in tow.
And according to head coach Kyle Shanahan, he's likely to play in Sunday's season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kyle Shanahan on the possibility of Nick Bosa NOT being available to play Sunday: "He'd have to have a beer belly and be out of shape."
In other words: He's playing.— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) September 6, 2023
The 49ers had the No. 1 defense in the NFL this past season after San Francisco allowed a league-low 16.3 points and 300.58 yards per game. Bosa was a big part of that. The team also added ex-Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave on a four-year, $84 million contract to bolster the interior of the defensive line.
The biggest loss, though, is defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who left to become the head coach of the Houston Texans this offseason. The 49ers hired former head coach Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator/interim head coach Steve Wilks as Ryans' replacement.
The loss of Ryans is big, but Bosa's return should make things easier for the 49ers to build off their 2022 season. The main question mark will be under center and whether second-year quarterback Brock Purdy can continue to play as well as he did before an elbow injury derailed San Francisco's Super Bowl run.