It’s looking more and more like Nick Bosa isn’t going to report in time for the season opener.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is not in the 49ers’ facility for meetings at the start of San Francisco’s Week 1 preparation, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday, per a source.
Bosa’s absence from the 49ers’ first practice ahead of their trip to Pittsburgh means he has just three days to report — less, in fact, considering he’d need to make the team’s flight to Pittsburgh — prior to the start of the 2023 season. Unless the 49ers and Bosa strike a deal in the next 48 hours, it sure seems like he won’t be suiting up for Week 1.
Given the path traveled to this point, the standoff might last a few more weeks. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan already admitted he could envision a scenario in which Bosa misses multiple games, and if Bosa is willing to remain absent for a season opener against a cornerstone NFL franchise, what’s one or two more missed games when future millions are at stake?
Bosa initially stated in June he felt “pretty confident” he and the 49ers would agree to terms on a massive extension by the start of training camp. After winning the top defensive award in a career year in 2022, there wasn’t much more Bosa could do to make himself worth showering with new cash. However, as time has passed and Bosa has remained absent, the concern has gradually increased.
If there were a scale for stress and/or panic regarding star player absences, this case has surpassed the median. Bosa plays a huge part in San Francisco’s fantastic defense. His pass-rushing can’t simply be replicated by one or two replacements. And if family history is a reliable indicator — older brother Joey held out before signing his rookie deal with the Chargers in 2016, then waited until the start of training camp to sign his massive extension in 2020 — this could continue to drag on.
Unless general manager John Lynch and Bosa’s representatives strike a deal in the next 48 hours, they’ll need to find a solution for Week 1 without him.
