The San Francisco 49ers officially began their preparations for the Pittsburgh Steelers, their opponents in the season opener in Week 1, on Wednesday. The biggest headline to come out of those preparations is the absence of star pass rusher, Nick Bosa.

Bosa remains away from the team as he awaits a resolution to his contract holdout. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, he was not present at 49ers headquarters for meetings on Wednesday. 

The No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is seeking a record-setting deal that would make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. To this point, no such offer has been put on the table by the 49ers. 

As a result, more and more doubt is beginning to creep in about Bosa’s availability for Week 1. More than likely, there are less than 48 hours for a deal to get struck before he is officially ruled out for the season opener.

The 49ers are set to practice today and tomorrow before a walk-through day on Friday. That afternoon/evening, they will fly cross-country to Pittsburgh. If he doesn’t report prior to that flight leaving, it is hard to imagine him being in the lineup even if a deal is struck prior to kickoff on Sunday.

This is something that the 49ers have been preparing for. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has previously admitted that he could envision a scenario in which Bosa sits out multiple games in the regular season. That was a worst-case scenario for San Francisco as that nightmare is playing out in real time.

Back in June, Bosa expressed confidence that a deal would be done before training camp and that he would report. Four days before the season opener and no deal has been reached, as he remains away from the team.

Coming off of a Defensive Player of the Year award-winning campaign, Bosa has certainly put himself in position for a mega contract. But, there are some major money concerns for the 49ers, who already have multiple players on their roster with top-of-the-market deals at their respective positions.