Nick Bosas deal brings more confidence and ease

Nick Bosa’s deal brings more confidence – and ease – to the 49ers’ locker room – The Athletic

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – One thing is for sure, the San Francisco 49ers defensive linemen said Wednesday: None of them will ever pick up the check for a D-line dinner again.

“Never, ever,” Clelin Ferrell said, laughing. “In fact, we are now doing a D line trip.”

If there had been a strange, somber mood in the 49ers’ locker room lately – because of the Trey Lance trade and the inability to get a deal done with their best defensive player – it was relieved on Wednesday with the news that Nick Bosa had agreed to quickly swept aside to a five-year deal that averages him $34 million per season.

GO DEEPER

49ers and Bosa agree to $170 million contract extension

It seemed to boost both confidence and ease.

Kyle Shanahan said he was willing to dodge reporters’ questions about Bosa and a contract extension when news of the deal broke. Instead of holding a tense press conference, Shanahan couldn’t help but smile. When asked how many snaps Bosa expected to play Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Shanahan quickly responded, “How many snaps are in the game?”

He later said that Bosa, who is known to have a very strict diet and training regimen, would have to arrive with a beer belly to avoid playing in Pittsburgh.

“And that’s not in Bosa’s DNA,” he said.

Linebacker Fred Warner said he was near the 49ers’ cafeteria at lunchtime when he passed Steve Wilks in the hallway. The defensive coordinator snapped up Warner, the star linebacker.

“Bosa is here,” Wilks said.

Warner couldn’t contain his excitement.

“I was blown away,” he said about an hour later in the 49ers locker room. “You should have seen me scream earlier.”

Warner stormed straight into the locker room and broke the first message to many of his 49ers teammates.

“I came in here and Fred came in screaming,” defensive tackle Javon Hargrave said. “Everyone was looking at their phones and talking about it.”

“Everyone was kind of happy,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. “It was a little celebration in here.”

Bosa’s resistance, which lasted 44 days, certainly had consequences.

That meant new right tackle Colton McKivitz, who will face edge rusher TJ Watt on Sunday, was never able to hone his skills against the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year this offseason. McKivitz said Bosa and Watt are similar.

“Yeah, they’re both explosive,” he said. “They play hard. The only thing you see (with Watt) is that he never stops making plays.”

McKivitz said he hopes to get a few reps against Bosa before the team leaves for Pittsburgh on Friday afternoon.

On the other hand, Bosa’s absence allowed the team’s other defensive players — freshman Ferrell and second-year player Drake Jackson — plenty of practice reps. One of them will start alongside Bosa in Pittsburgh, likely Ferrell, who didn’t miss a practice in the spring or summer.

Even Kerry Hyder Jr., entering his third season with the team, noted that he spent last offseason at defensive tackle. This year he’s back at defensive end and is enjoying all the snaps he’s taken there.

“This defense, in my opinion, is all about reps,” Hyder said. “It was great for me to get out there and get back into the swing of things. Getting extra reps is always a plus.”

The 49ers, including Kerry Hyder Jr., were happy that Nick Bosa got what they felt he deserved with his new contract extension. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Although star left tackle Trent Williams always believed the 49ers and Bosa would reach an agreement, doubts began to arise Wednesday morning about the timing of the process.

“When we got here today, I started to worry about whether it would be ready in time for him to play this weekend,” Williams said.

In a well-established 49ers locker room tradition, Bosa pulls up a chair in Williams’ locker room after every game. The two All-Pros summarize what happened in the last 60 minutes of play. They are often joined by other stars in a dressing room full of them.

GO DEEPER

Postgame summit in the locker room with Trent Williams and Nick Bosa: A 49ers game

These summits with Bosa can now proceed on their original schedule and Williams is excited about that.

“I miss that part of it, but I don’t miss blocking it one bit,” Williams said. “I miss being able to pick each other’s brains. Having him here, him being in my corner, me being in his corner – I definitely miss him.

“As relaxed and monotonous as he seems, he is an important part of this locker room. A lot of people really follow him. We learn a lot from him about handling the body, dedication, proper nutrition and proper sleep. He’s one of those guys you really need in the locker room.”

Bosa’s locker was overflowing with mail deliveries due to its owner’s absence for several months, and would soon be occupied again by one of the best players in the world. And although they joked about the size of Bosa’s paychecks, none of the players begrudged him the amount.

“Not only is he a teammate, he’s also a friend of mine,” Hyder said. “It’s a blessing to see him get paid like that. We are happy for him. He deserves it. He works his ass off and does his best on the field, man. We’re happy for him to see him get what he worked for. One thing about the NFL: Not everyone always gets their fair share. So when you see someone like that getting his due, it’s definitely a source of anticipation for everyone involved.”

GO DEEPER

49ers Over/Under: Brock Purdy’s INT count; How to adjust Nick Bosa’s sack total?

Receiver Brandon Aiyuk was definitely excited.

“We have a full squad now,” he said.

As for the bigger financial picture, Aiyuk could receive a big contract from the team in 2024 since he was drafted a year after Bosa and is scheduled to play in 2024 under his fifth-year option. A reporter asked Aiyuk if he would be next to receive his money, and the recipient smiled gently in response.

“We’ll see,” he said.

bits and pieces

• The 49ers practiced without two players on Wednesday. Williams was given a day of rest and interior offensive lineman Jon Feliciano was out due to illness.

Every other player on the active roster practiced, including starters George Kittle (groin), Talanoa Hufanga (knee) and Tashaun Gipson Sr. (back), who were listed as limited.

Also limited was returnee Ray-Ray McCloud III, who broke his wrist midway through training camp but completed punts early in practice with a brace on his arm. McCloud said he suffered a similar fracture on his other wrist as a college junior, played the entire season with a hard brace and suffered no absences.

“It honestly made me stronger,” he said. “It made me concentrate harder, focus.”

McCloud hopes to play against his former team, the Steelers, on Sunday. If he can’t play, rookie Ronnie Bell will take on the role of return man and backup receiver.

The other 49ers injured are linebacker Oren Burks (knee), running back Jordan Mason (foot) and kicker Jake Moody (quad). They were also limited on Wednesday.

Shanahan said he would be surprised if Moody didn’t kick Sunday.

“He looks good and I feel good about him,” he said.

• The 49ers named six team captains: Arik Armstead, Kittle, Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, Warner and Williams.

Shanahan said he was especially happy that Samuel was captain. He was the team’s MVP in 2021, but had a contract dispute the next offseason and, by his own admission, wasn’t able to prepare and play as well last year.

“I think he was disappointed he didn’t get captain last year,” Shanahan said. “I know it was him. For him to be one of those guys, especially the end of last year, I think shows how committed he was. You saw it on the field. And the players feel it strongly too.”

(Top photo of Trent Williams hugging Nick Bosa: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)

“The Football 100,” the definitive ranking of the 100 greatest NFL players of all time, hits stores this fall. Pre-order here.