The 49ers haven’t had a particularly active offseason, but they did make a significant splash when they signed free agent defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. Despite the Hargrave addition, San Francisco’s biggest offseason box still remains unchecked.
ESPN’s Field Yates put together a list of one final move each team needs to make. For the 49ers it was their biggest offseason priority that still needs to be taken care of: extending defensive end Nick Bosa.
Via ESPN:
This one didn’t require too much contemplation, as Bosa — the best defensive player on a team full of incredible defenders — is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is unquestionably due a new deal. The complex part is figuring out the exact numbers, but it’d be no surprise if it ends up among the richest ever signed by a defensive player.
The good news is the Bosa contract wasn’t expected to be done by mid-June. Typically the 49ers hammer these deals out just before training camp or in the day or two after camp starts. Bosa during a press conference during mandatory minicamp indicated optimism that a deal will get done.
For San Francisco it’s not a question of whether to pay Bosa. They have to figure out how much to pay him and how to structure that deal. It’s likely he’ll become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history after his Defensive Player of the Year performance last season.
Still, this is a deal the 49ers have undoubtedly been thinking about since 2019 when Bosa won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. There’s never been a question on whether he’d be re-signed. San Francisco still has to check that box this offseason, but it’s empty by design. A deal is coming, and at that point the necessary offseason moves will be complete.
