Kurtenbach: The 49ers finally paid Nick Bosa because you can’t put a price on a Super Bowl

San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa is set to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

In his new multi-year contract, the 49ers gave Nick Bosa everything he desired.

In exchange, the Niners will receive the NFL’s best defensive player for the next six seasons — his career peak.

That seems like a good deal to me.

The 49ers and the 25-year-old reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year reportedly agreed to a five-year, $170 million contract extension with a whopping $122.5 million guaranteed. There’s no word yet on whether he received any of the sinks in Levi’s Stadium as part of this new deal, which will make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league beginning next season. The new deal also ends Bosa’s 44-day strike.

Was it wise for the 49ers to wait until the last possible moment to pay their star player?

No. It was unworthy of the organization and general manager John Lynch, who should have completed this historic deal months ago. The Niners created a saga out of something relatively simple by attempting to press leverage they didn’t have (as evidenced by the contract figures). The front office also put Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan in a difficult position heading into the season. He stated on Wednesday that he was “not having good thoughts” about the Bosa situation as the weekend approached.

But, now that Bosa has been signed, does any of that matter?

Certainly not.

With this massive distraction officially removed by an equally massive contract extension, the 49ers can finally devote their full attention to not just winning games — they have one in Pittsburgh on Sunday — but winning the Super Bowl.

Nothing less than what he agreed to on Wednesday would have sufficed for Bosa.

Nothing less than raising the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season will suffice for the Niners. And they require Bosa to do so.

Bosa was the focal point of the Niners’ defense. And this team was built around an outstanding defense.

The Niners’ title window is wide open right now, thanks to their strong defense. The problem is that those windows tend to close faster than expected.

If it means paying No. 97 more than any other NFL player other than the league’s top 14 quarterbacks to get Bosa back in uniform, so be it.

You can’t say he’s not worth it. The Niners have reached three NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl during the Ohio State product’s three healthy seasons. The Niners are 16-32 in Shanahan’s three seasons without the All-Pro defensive end.

Coincidence? Maybe.

We discovered how much it cost the 49ers not to find out.

“We all knew Nick was going to get rewarded like he did,” Shanahan said on Wednesday. “I’m pumped about it… I know he’s trying to arrive as soon as possible.”

Now for the important stuff — the 2023 NFL season:

While Bosa’s snap count may be limited in Week 1, there is no doubt about his ability to play at an elite level this season despite missing all of training camp.

Defensive ends rarely run plays, and Bosa has never been particularly out of shape.

He’ll be back in the Bay by Thursday, ready to wreck right tackles and wallop quarterbacks the moment he steps off the plane.

“We’ll be smart with it,” Shanahan said of limiting Bosa’s snap count. But expect Bosa to be in uniform in Pittsburgh on Sunday.

“He’d have to have a beer belly and be out of shape or something [to miss the game],” Shanahan explained. “That’s just not in Bosa’s DNA.”