Nick Bosa doesn’t like talking about his looming contract extension.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was back in the building in Santa Clara for 49ers offseason team activities (OTAs) Tuesday but didn’t take part in the on-field action. He met with reporters and took a couple questions about his contract situation.
Bosa is about to enter the fifth and final year of his rookie deal and is setting himself up for a huge payday beginning 2024. He said his confidence level is high that he’ll be able to get an extension done by training camp.
“It’s pretty high,” Bosa said. “I think I’m pretty confident about that.”
49ers general manager has told reporters that Bosa’s contract would become a priority once they got through the draft. Bosa led the NFL with 18.5 sacks last year and is capable of shutting down his half of the line.
Bosa can be short with his answers and Tuesday he wasn’t in much of a talkative mood. Asked if he’d like to be the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, Bosa simply said, “I think I’ll get what I deserve.”
Currently, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player with a salary of $31.7 million. The 25-year-old Bosa should top that average annual value with his extension, as the NFL salary cap is set to expand in 2024 with the league’s new TV deals.
The 49ers have a history of locking up their top talent with lucrative five-year extensions – guys like Fred Warner, George Kittle, Arik Armstead and Jimmy Garoppolo. For Bosa’s contract, it’s a matter of when, not if.
