The San Francisco 49ers and Nick Bosa have officially beat the clock by agreeing to a massive contract extension that will make Bosa the NFL‘s highest-paid defensive player. Bosa will sign a five-year, $170 million deal that includes $122.5 million guaranteed and moves the 49ers defensive end ahead of Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald in average annual value, per ESPN.
Will Nick Bosa Be Available for Week 1 After Signing Extension?
Now that Bosa has reset the market for NFL defenders, the next question is his availability for Week 1. The 49ers are set to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in less than four days — will Bosa be ready in time?
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Kyle Shanahan said Bosa is not currently with the 49ers but is “trying to get here as fast as possible” now that the deal is complete. Bosa is now on his way to California and will attempt to be at the 49ers’ facility by day’s end, as David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
Source: Nick Bosa has agreed to a five-year, $170 million extension with the San Francisco 49ers, including $122.5 million guaranteed, by a wide margin. It will make him the highest-paid defensive player in history. pic.twitter.com/bRm6S9Eemf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 6, 2023
While Shanahan initially said San Francisco would “be smart” with Bosa’s status for Week 1 and hinted that his availability might depend on how he fares in the club’s next two practices, the head coach quickly changed his tune.
“He’d have to have a beer belly and be out of shape” to not play on Sunday, Shanahan said when asked about Bosa.
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
Bosa would have missed out on 1/18th of his 2023 base salary — just shy of $1 million — for each week he missed during the regular season. Now that he’s reported, the 49ers can also forgive the fines Bosa accrued by skipping training camp and the preseason.
How Bosa’s Extension Affects Chris Jones and Brian Burns
Now that Bosa has inked a new contract and reported to the 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs DT and Carolina Panthers EDGE Brian Burns are the only defenders still holding out/in.
Jones skipped training camp and the preseason and is unlikely to be on the field when the Chiefs open the 2023 NFL season on Thursday night, especially given that the two sides are reportedly still far apart in negotiations.
Because he isn’t believed to have set becoming the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player as a goal, Jones might not be affected by Bosa’s new deal. The latest reporting suggests Jones is even willing to come in below Donald’s $31.67 million average annual salary.
Meanwhile, Burns doesn’t have the track record to top Bosa’s record-breaking payday. But the fact that the Panthers reportedly turned down two first-round picks from the Rams before last year’s trade deadline gives him immense leverage in negotiations.
Burns attended training camp but didn’t play during the preseason. He’s still appearing at Carolina’s facility but isn’t participating in practice, and head coach Frank Reich admitted this week he wasn’t sure if Burns would play in Week 1 without an extension in place.