49ers Preparing for the Worst With Nick Bosa

Nick Bosa and the San Francisco 49ers have yet to agree to a deal just days away from the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and while the Steelers are preparing like Bosa will play, the 49ers are doing the opposite. Kyle Shanahan has the team preparing like he might not play.

Talking with the media on Monday, safety Talanoa Hufanga was asked about how the team approaches what is going on with Bosa. As it stands right now, the 49ers have to prepare like he will not play, even though the very opposite thing could happen by the end of the week.

“For us, we just have to play with who we got,” Hufanga said. “We would love to have Bosa; it’s a no-brainer, he’s the best defensive player in the NFL, and it shows. However for us, we have to prepare as if he is not going to be here. It’s a front office question, but if he’s here, we would love to have him.”

On Sunday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN suggested the deal was “not a slam dunk” to be done before Week 1. And others have backed that up, with Ian Rapoport believing that Nick Bosa may not play in the game due to how principled the family is and the lack of urgency in the contract situation.

“Will be miss a game? I don’t know,” Rapoport said on KNBR last week. “But I will say this. I would say, if it’s possible for anyone to miss a game, Nick Bosa would be in the conversation. That family, as principled as they are, I could see it.”

Bosa is under contract for the 2023 season and would begin to miss out on salary if he misses games. If he can not play, guys such as Drake Jackson and Clelin Ferrell will see added playing time.