Nick Bosa, 49ers not blinking as Week 1 ‘now in doubt’

It wouldn’t be the start of another 49ers season without some superfluous drama. This year, it’s that Nick Bosa has still not signed a new deal with just four days left before Sunday’s season opener in Pittsburgh.

“Nick Bosa is not in the building for meetings with his teammates, sources say, as his holdout stretches into the regular season,” Ian Rapoport wrote on Wednesday morning. “His status for Week 1 is now in doubt as he seeks a blockbuster contract extension.”

Rapoport later said on TV that it “seems farfetched to me to say he’ll play Week 1.”

Bosa has held out all summer as he stares down the 49ers. He has one year left on his rookie deal at $17 million, a wage he’s hugely outperformed. The gap between the parties is not totally clear, but the sticking points appear to be total guaranteed money, and whether Bosa surpasses Aaron Donald’s annual value of $31.7 million.

Bosa is the reigning NFL defensive player of the year and arguably the Niners’ best player. In 51 career games, he has 43 sacks, and he’s actually been more productive since returning from an ACL tear he suffered in 2020. In 33 games over the past two seasons, he has 34 sacks, six forced fumbles and 80 quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Reference. Depth behind Bosa is one of the weakest parts of an otherwise loaded 49ers defense, giving the player all the leverage. At defensive end, the Niners’ “next men up” are Drake Jackson and Clelin Ferrell. Jackson only got on the field for a third of the team’s defensive snaps as a rookie last year, and Ferrell has a meager 10 sacks in 58 games for the Raiders.

In other words, it might be open season on the Niners without Bosa tearing around the edge.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is preparing like he’ll have to deal with Bosa on Sunday. But with the season opener just four days away, his chances of getting lucky are only looking better and better.