In what amounts to a procedural move given the player involved, the 49ers picked up Nick Bosa‘s fifth-year option on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Bosa is now signed through the 2023 season.
This is one of the easier calls in the option era, and Bosa is eligible for the top-tier option price. Despite missing most of the 2020 season due to injury, Bosa has made two Pro Bowls thus far. That attaches the former No. 2 overall pick to a $17.859MM salary for 2023.
Of course, a market-topping Bosa extension is on the 49ers’ agenda before that salary would come into play. Bosa became extension-eligible in January, and the GM John Lynch said a new deal for the impact defensive end has been budgeted. Although the 49ers have run into complications with Deebo Samuel‘s extension, no clouds have yet emerged regarding the team and Bosa’s future. The 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year bounced back from a September 2020 ACL tear to record 15.5 sacks and an NFL-leading 21 tackles for loss last season.
San Francisco’s path toward Bosa and Samuel re-ups has also seen Jimmy Garoppolo‘s contract become an obstacle. With barely $700K in cap space, the 49ers rank last in the NFL in available funds. A Garoppolo trade would clear $25.6MM off the team’s books. A deal is still expected, but the surgery Garoppolo underwent on his throwing shoulder has complicated matters.
Bosa (24.5 sacks between the 2019 and ’21 seasons) will be expected to land a deal north of T.J. Watt‘s current market-setting pact. Watt’s $28MM-per-year extension topped Joey Bosa‘s deal ($27MM AAV). The younger Bosa could become the NFL’s first $30MM-per-year defender, with the cap back on its usual course after the pandemic-induced reduction in 2021. Nick Bosa, 24, is attached to an $895K base salary this season. The 49ers have some time here, thanks to this option, but it should be expected Bosa will not play the 2023 season for the option price.
Tough decisions there! Dude’s a monster.
Getting good players to sign reasonable extensions will soon be impossible. This will lead to some interesting times. Some teams will be trading every veteran, while others will forego the draft altogether (as they will have no picks).
That’s what happened in baseball when players became to expensive. Teams moved to younger prospects and rebuilt. The NFL May go down the same path if every contract needs to become highest paid player at their position
Bosa is the next 49er whine about a trade.
San Fran is a terrible place to live, Samuel is willing to pass on $25 million just to escape California
Shanahan is smart, but he’s causing Samuel to burn himself out
Gone are the days when coaches and GM’s rule the team, players are dictating the decision making
The fans of teams are left holding the bag.
Freeing Debo means keeping the fans in slavery
Putting all your eggs in one basket is one of the surest ways to get hosed, especially in a league where 300-400 players go on the IR each year.
Deebo is certainly a unique athlete – when healthy – but the 49’ers are going to rue the year they have to start some practice squad players because they paid too many guys $25+ million.
SF is a terrible place to live ya sure got that right
The Niners play in Santa Clara, about 45 minutes from SF. There are a bunch of really nice areas around there that a guy making 25 million bucks a year could easily afford. Most professional athletes who play for bay area teams definitely don’t live in the big cities, as you guys are right, they are terrible.
Maybe I’m mixing up my Bosas but they are too injury prone to get huge contracts. They’re very good but they seem like TJ Watt.