Source – Nick Bosa of the 49ers is the highest paid defensive player
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers and defensive end Nick Bosa have agreed to a five-year, $170 million extension that makes him the highest-paid defensive player in history, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
The source told ESPN the extension includes a $122.5 million guarantee.
Among defensive players, the $34 million annual return exceeds the average $31.7 million for Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, and the $122.5 million in guarantees easily exceeds the $102 million mark his brother Joey set with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020.
It also comes before the regular season opener on September 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which means Bossa may be available for that game.
It’s no surprise that the Niners and Bossa finally came to terms. It took 43 days after the team opened its training camp.
San Francisco has made a habit of re-signing some of its famous players either right before camp or shortly after it opens. They followed a similar scheme with tight end George Kittle in 2020, linebacker Fred Warner in 2021, and receiver Debo Samuel in 2022.
However, the Bossa deal, the largest among that group, proved more complex.
Coach Kyle Shanahan and General Manager John Lynch never expressed any doubt that the deal could go through and were adamant that trading Bosa was never an option.
For his part, Bosa, who generally prefers to do his offseason work with his brother Joey in Fort Lauderdale, showed up at the team’s mini-camp in June and reiterated his belief that payday will come as long as he remains patient.
“I think I’m going to get what I deserve,” Bossa said on June 6.
It obviously took a little longer than Bosa, 25, had expected, but the Niners now have the NFL’s best defensive player under contract.
In 2022, Bosa posted his best season, earning his first All-Pro nod and a third berth in the Pro Bowl for topping his career with 18.5 sacks, 51 tackles, two forced fumbles, and 58 quarterback pressures (third in the NFL). That dominant performance came two years after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Week 2 of the 2020 season.
But that injury is a thing of the past for Bosa, as he has recorded 34 sacks over the past two seasons.
His new contract also gives him a bit of family bragging rights as he’s outgrown the five-year, $135 million deal between the Chargers and his brother, Joey.
