Nick Bosa Passes GM’s Deadline to be Ready for Steelers Game

San Francisco 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa still does not have a contract as the Niners enter the final week of preseason prep for their Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With Bosa having yet to take to the practice field with San Francisco, it seems clear at this point that he will not play in a preseason game. San Fran’s final preseason tuneup is Friday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.

But even without the preseason game factored, in the clock is ticking for the 49ers and Bosa to reach a deal in time for him to be ready for the opener in 20 days. Who says it takes three weeks for a star veteran to get ready to play in a regular season game? None other than 49ers general manager John Lynch, when asked about that timeframe earlier this offseason.

“I think there’s a point that everybody, as long as I played in Year 13, people used to ask, do you need training camp? I needed three weeks. I needed that to get ready.”

Bosa passed that milestone on Sunday, and there does not appear to be movement between the sides to get a deal done this week, either.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Bosa is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year after racking up 18.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles last season.

Bosa is under contract for the 2023 season, the final deal of his rookie contract, so it’s unlikely that he would forfeit his salary by missing the game. But at this point, at least according to his general manager, Bosa might not be fully ready to play when the Steelers and 49ers meet at Acrisure Stadium in Week 1 on Sept. 10.

Bosa is looking for a deal that will eclipse the four-year, $112 million contract with $80 million in guarantees that T.J. Watt signed with the Steelers in 2021. That deal also went down to the wire, with Watt signing on Sept. 9 — three days before the team’s season opener against the Buffalo Bills.

But Watt had been participating in practice on a limited basis throughout the offseason and was able to get ready to play in time to not only dress that week, but make two sacks, a tackle for loss and force a fumble in the Steelers’ win.

Bosa has not been with the 49ers, so it might take him longer to get up to speed than Watt did. If he does not play or is unable to maintain his full workload, Clelin Ferrell is expected to replace him.