The San Francisco 49ers are motivated heading into the 2023 season. They know their chance at winning a Super Bowl last season was ripped away from them because of some unlucky injury luck at the quarterback position.
San Francisco had to overcome their starter in Week 1, Trey Lance, suffering a season-ending injury less than six quarters into the season. His backup, Jimmy Garoppolo, lasted until Week 13 when he suffered what turned out to be a season-ending injury of his own.
Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft, Brock Purdy, stepped into the lineup and played great until suffering an injury in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. His backup, Josh Johnson, also suffered an injury, effectively ending their chance at making a run for the Lombardi Trophy.
The disappointing part about that game was how Nick Bosa and the team’s defense looked. Philadelphia steamrolled them, getting whatever they wanted against a team that looked like they knew they had no chance to win the game.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year did all that he could to help get the team over the hump. Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, he is hoping that the 49ers can go all the way this season.
While all of the attention will soon shift to the field, with training camp only a few weeks away, there is one major task Bosa and the 49ers still have; working out a long-term extension. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes Bosa is the player that the 49ers should prioritize an extension with and it is hard to argue against that.
The No. 2 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has cemented his status as one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL. Working out a long-term deal with him is something that could happen before the season gets underway, and it could come at the end of the month based on the MO of general manager John Lynch.
“In recent years, the Niners have gone through their offseason business before turning their attention to big-money extensions,” ESPN’s Nick Wagoner wrote. “And all of those—tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner and receiver Deebo Samuel—were completed either right before training camp or soon after it opened.”
Bosa has certainly earned a top-of-the-market contract with his performance. Every season that he has been healthy as a professional, he has recorded at least 9.0 sacks. He is a star and based on the rising cost of pass rusher’s contracts, the 49ers would be smart to lock him into a deal as soon as possible.
San Francisco could always place the franchise tag on him during the 2024 offseason if they cannot work out an extension to a number of their liking this offseason. But, that number will only rise, especially if Bosa continues playing at the level he has when healthy his first four seasons.
With $11.4 million remaining in cap space, expect as much of that to go to Bosa as needed to get a deal done. The 49ers are set to contend for years to come and locking in the reigning Defensive Player of the Year for the foreseeable future would help cement that status.
