So far, Nick Bosa’s holdout from the 49ers has remained relaxed

Nick Bosa, arguably the best player on the San Francisco 49ers, is entering the second week of his holdout from the team over contract negotiations. But somehow the whole thing is very chill.

While the details of every pass thrown in camp have been analyzed down to exact velocity and angle of travel, there’s been shockingly little alarm over the reigning Defensive Player of the Year sitting out of training camp for seven straight days.

Part of this is by design. General manager John Lynch noted Monday that the Niners and Bosa’s camp have been aiming to keep details of the negotiations “private,” an approach he said he preferred when he went through this stuff as a player. Lynch did show some emotion about these behind-closed-doors talks when he told reporters, “I don’t like this. I don’t like not having one of our best players here.” Ultimately, however, he offered good news for fans eager to see the three-time All-Pro edge rusher in red and gold this season.

“We’ve got a really good track record that I’m proud of as a group of having our players in, but I also understand it and understand that we’re going to have to exhibit some patience and understand that ultimately this thing will work out,” Lynch said. “I’m very confident in that, and we’re just going to have to have that right mix of urgency and patience.

“And again, I remain confident that we will come to an agreement and get things taken care of so we can have one of our best players, one of the best teammates — this is the guy that addresses our team every Saturday and just gives his wisdom. We miss him and looking forward to the day he’s coming back.”

Another sign that there isn’t any major cause for concern right now is that Lynch told reporters, “I don’t think that’s really necessary,” when asked about potential fines for Bosa missing camp. If that’s the plan, then the Niners are basically treating Bosa’s holdout as paid leave, which they can do, as the league’s collective bargaining agreement allows teams to waive fines for players like Bosa on rookie contracts. Perhaps that’s the biggest reason why the drama has been limited. When Xavien Howard had a contract dispute with the Dolphins, he reported to camp to avoid unexcused absence fines but refused to participate in team practices and demanded a trade from the team.

“I don’t feel valued or respected by the Dolphins,” Howard wrote in a 2021 Instagram post. “Just like they can take a business-first approach, so can I. That’s why I want to make it clear I’m not happy and have requested a trade. Until that happens, I am just here, so I don’t get fined and will handle myself like professionals do.”

Lynch’s approach is nice, but talk is cheap, and Bosa’s contract certainly won’t be. Bosa’s camp should and will aim for a record-breaking salary; it just depends on how high they set their sights. Fellow edge rusher T.J. Watt signed a four-year extension with the Steelers in 2021 giving him $28 million a year. Future Hall of Famer and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is making $31.6 million a year.

Bosa has the accolades and statistics to draw a similar paycheck. Fans should just hope it’s a matter of “when” instead of “if.”