The Micah Parsons' contract watch is officially underway.
On Wednesday afternoon, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa agreed to a five-year, $170 million contract with $122.5 million guaranteed. The average annual value of $34 million makes Bosa the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, eclipsing Aaron Donald’s $31.7 million.
Bosa’s holdout dragged on for six weeks before the deal was announced on Wednesday. The deal happened about an hour before the 49ers were set to practice to get set for Sunday’s season opener at Pittsburgh.
With Bosa's contract sewn up, all eyes now shift to Cowboys pass rusher Parsons, who becomes eligible for an extension after the 2023 season.
Parsons has previously revealed that his contract extension isn't all about the money and reiterated that sentiment in a recent article with Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.
“It’s the heart and the significance behind the money,” said Parsons, who is expected to challenge Bosa's record contract in annual salary and guaranteed money next offseason. “What the money says. It’s something that I worked for and something that I earned.”
Bosa was the league's defensive player of the year in 2022, beating out Parsons, who finished second in voting for the second straight season. But the Cowboys' star has no qualms about losing out on the award last season and believes it will only make him that much better in 2023.
“I’m super happy for Nick Bosa," Parsons said after learning of Bosa'a megadeal following Wednesday's practice. "He really showed why he was the best player in the league last year, and it gives you something to chase. Not in terms of his contract but in terms of how great he was if you study his mindset, how patient he was.”