The Niners are hoping that three days of acclimation is all Nick Bosa will need to get ready for Week 1.
Bosa signed a record-setting five-year deal reportedly worth $170 million with $122.5 million guaranteed on Wednesday, with the news breaking about an hour before practice started. Bosa didn't leave Florida until Wednesday evening, but the media expects to see him in uniform for Thursday’s practice. Bosa will likely go through the team’s light session on Friday before the team flies to Pittsburgh.
Listening to coach Kyle Shanahan, Bosa is expected to be ready by Sunday following his six-week holdout.
“I mean, there is question because we haven't seen him,” Shanahan said. “But I think you guys know how I'm talking. Like, he’d have to have a beer belly and be out of shape or something, which that's not in Bosa’s DNA.”
The 25-year-old is known for his Hulk-esque figure, which he reportedly has been maintaining with individual workouts in Florida. Bosa and his brother, Joey, are renowned for their offseason regimen and it sounds like Shanahan isn’t worried about a possible snap count.
“How many snaps are in the game? I'm just joking,” Shanahan said, unable to hide his smile. “We’ve got to see when he gets here. I know Nick will come in shape. I know he'll be good. It'd be great if he could get into something today. I don't know when he is going to get here or where he is flying from, but we'll be smart with it.”
You can bet that Bosa will be posted up at Trent Williams locker after Sunday’s game, as the All-Pro duo always chat after every contest and get each other’s immediate reaction. Williams said he’s looking forward to chopping it up with Bosa in the locker room, but maybe not so much seeing him on the practice field.
“I don’t miss blocking him. Not one bit,” Williams said with a laugh. “I do miss being able to pick each other’s brains and just having him here – him being in my corner and me being in his corner. Definitely miss him. As laid back and monotone as he seems, he’s a big part of this locker room. A lot of people really, really follow him. We learn a lot in terms of how to treat your body, eating right and sleeping right. He’s one of those guys that you really need in the locker room.”
Bosa figures to join defensive tackles Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave and defensive end Drake Jackson on the starting front four Sunday. Shanahan doesn’t think Bosa needs much to get up to speed, especially considering he has never played a preseason game in his career.
“Nick is a smart player in our scheme. It's not the most complicated thing for the D-Line, but he's very good at it. So, Nick's been on his own completely and that's why I don't want to answer too much. I’ve got to see when he gets here. But we've got to know Nick pretty well and kind of expect when he gets here to look and act and be in the same spot he's been since the day we met him.”
All three levels of the 49ers defense will benefit from Bosa’s constant pressure and ability to set the edge. The secondary’s job will be easier, the linebackers jobs will be easier. Bosa is a true game-changer on his side of the ball.
“He makes everybody’s life easier, not just me,” middle linebacker Fred Warner said. “Being one of the most dominant defensive players in the league – run and pass game. Just the most complete player on the edge and clears a lot of things up for me.”
