As 49ers fans eagerly await a new contract for Deebo Samuel, it turns out they likely will have to wait even longer when it comes to extending Nick Bosa.
It’s a decision that comes down to a bit of team philosophy, general manager John Lynch explained to reporters Tuesday from the first day of training camp. The star defensive end still has two years left on his rookie contract after the 49ers picked up his fifth-year option.
“I think the thing I’d tell you there is, if you look at our history, our cadence, most of our deals are done with one year left on the contract,” Lynch said. “Nick’s got two years left, and so that doesn’t make it impossible, but it makes it more likely that it’s something that will be addressed next year.”
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Although teams can begin negotiating contract extensions with draft picks after three seasons, Lynch’s timeline echoed 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s comments in June indicating there was no rush to extend Bosa.
That’s likely because the 49ers’ front office is currently knee deep in negotiations with Samuel, who is entering the final season of his four-year, $10.1 million rookie contract. There’s more urgency to extend the star wide receiver, whose current deal is far below market value for an All-Pro that requested a trade in April.
Bosa’s original contract, on the other hand, was a four-year, $33.55 million contract with an up-front signing bonus of nearly $22.5 million. His fifth-year option for the 2023 season came at a fully guaranteed price of $17.86 million.
San Francisco 49ers
Bosa has been well-compensated during his time on the 49ers, and Lynch promised on Tuesday that trend will continue into the future -- it will just require a little bit of patience.
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“No absolutes, never say never, but here’s what I do know,” Lynch continued. “As long as we’re here, Nick Bosa’s going to be a part of the Niners and he’s going to get paid handsomely to do so.
“His time’s coming, and when it does, he’ll get what he deserves because, man, what a special player.”