Kurtenbach: The 49ers aren’t worried about Nick Bosa’s holdout. They should be
San Francisco 49ers: What’s the 49ers hold-up in ending Nick Bosa’s hold-out?
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — We all know how this ends for Nick Bosa and the 49ers: the team’s best player and the league’s best pass rusher will sign a new contract that will make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.
Big smiles, big money, big press conference.
So let’s get started.
What’s the problem with ending the strike?
The 49ers are working hard in practice. They’re not far away from starting to plan for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1.
However, Bosa is 3,000 miles away and is unlikely to board a plane to San Jose anytime soon.
The Niners are downplaying everything. But not giving Bosa his big contract is, well, a big deal, because there’s no guarantee this strike will end before the start of the regular season.
I can see why Bosa would want to unwind in Florida. (He probably spends six hours a day in the gym for relaxation.) He’s using the leverage he has in this contract dispute. He’s also waiting for other top defenders to sign new contracts, including Brian Burns in Carolina and Chris Jones in Kansas City.
However, Bosa’s new contract is expected to be much larger than either of those. They aren’t even comparable. In fact, the only comparable players are TJ Watt ($28 million per season) and Aaron Donald ($31 million per season).
Over the course of five years, the Niners will pay Bosa nearly $170 million. It is what the market requires. So I’m not sure I see the point in delaying the inevitable for the team.
In fact, I see several reasons why they should pay Bosa today.
Let’s start with the fact that the Niners’ defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks, is in his first season. He’s never coached Bosa, who skipped the team’s OTAs and minicamp last spring, foreshadowing his impending holdout.
Wilks, like DeMeco Ryans, was on Robert Saleh’s coaching staff before taking over as Niners defensive coordinator. He’s taken over one of the NFL’s best defenses and promised consistency. Nonetheless, the former Cardinals and Panthers head coach must adapt to the 49ers’ way of doing things just as much as Niners defenders must adapt to him.
The 49ers’ 34-7 preseason loss to the Raiders on Sunday — a game in which the 49ers’ second and third-string defenses looked like sieves against the Las Vegas backups — demonstrated that there is still a long way to go.
Wouldn’t Wilks like to work with Bosa for a few days before the start of the regular season?
On Tuesday, he deflected the question gracefully, but we all know the answer.
Bosa may not need the practice, but plenty of people in red and gold could benefit from it, as he is the heart of the team’s defense.
Even a few scrimmage snaps for Bosa could be instructive in determining who should play opposite him on the defensive line — a position that is up for grabs this preseason.
Playing behind a defensive line with Bosa rushing the passer is also a unique experience. Bosa could help provide answers for a team that has questions at cornerback and strong-side linebacker.
And, if iron sharpens iron, Bosa’s return would benefit the offense as well.
More importantly, the longer this strike continues, the more likely it is that the inevitable new contract will not be signed until the regular season begins. Missing Bosa for a few games could have serious consequences come the winter.
Pass rusher is the NFL’s second most important position, and it’s no coincidence that in Kyle Shanahan’s six seasons as the Niners’ head coach, he’s posted a losing record in three seasons without Bosa and competed for the Super Bowl in the three seasons he’s played.
Under Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, the Niners have been eager to pay elite players elite money. However, they have never waited this long into camp to reach an agreement on a large-money contract extension.
On July 31, last season, Deebo Samuel and the Niners agreed to a new contract.
On July 21, the previous season, Fred Warner and the Niners signed a new contract. Trent Williams signed a contract in March of that year.
In 2020, the Niners and George Kittle waited until August 14 to make Kittle the highest-paid tight end in the league.
Deals like that necessitate traction — at least a few days of serious back-and-forth. There’s no indication that the team or Bosa currently have that kind of traction. What’s to say it won’t appear soon?
We can debate the backup quarterback position until we’re blue in the face. But that’s just a diversion.
This is the 49ers’ most serious problem, and it’s simple to solve: Stop hesitating and write the check.
