SANTA CLARA — There is no doubt that Nick Bosa could demand a record-breaking contract, but that’s not a deal breaker for the 49ers' star pass rusher.
“Not necessarily, just see where it goes,” Bosa told reporters on Tuesday. “I’m definitely going to have patience and probably not worry about it for some time. I have an amazing agent who will handle all that, and I’ll just enjoy my time off and get ready to roll next year.”
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has the highest average annual salary for a defensive player at $31.6 million, while Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt has the second-highest average salary at $28 million. Nick’s older brother, Joey, receives the third-highest average salary of $27 million per season.
Bosa is set to notch an even higher payday or at least a comparable amount. The front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year might not have registered a sack in the postseason, but he led the league with 18.5 regular-season sacks. Bosa ranked second with 98 quarterback pressures to only Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons who racked up 106 pressures according to PFF.
But Bosa isn’t all about the statistics, he affects the game by just being on the field and his defensive line counterparts benefit from it. The star edge rusher also is a sizable contributor to the club’s run defense, registering 45 total stops, which ranks third in the league.
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Both coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch know how valuable Bosa is to their long-term plans and have vowed to keep him on the roster as long as they are part of the franchise.
San Francisco 49ers
For Bosa, the feeling is mutual.
“Oh yeah, I’d love to be here, for sure,” Bosa said. “This is a great organization. They treat me as good as you can, and I have amazing relationships here, so hopefully, yeah.”
The 49ers have the entire offseason to work out a deal to keep their best defensive player in the building for the foreseeable future, and it is at the top of the priority list.