One thing is clear. San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa will play against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday afternoon. After receiving a record-setting deal, he’ll suit up for the season opener. What’s uncertain is how much Bosa will play. 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan said as much in a press conference literal minutes after the deal was agreed to, saying the team will have to get him in their building and evaluate where he is.
“How many snaps are in the game?” Shanahan said when asked how much Bosa will play. “I’m just joking. We gotta 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 gonna get here or where he is flying from. We’ll be smart with it. And that’ll be based over these next two and-a-half practices.”
Bosa signed a bonkers deal that makes him the highest-paid defender in NFL history. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it’s a five-year, $170 million deal, topping the recent contracts of T.J. Watt and Aaron Donald.
Bosa missed the entire offseason and preseason while holding out in search of his new deal. Shanahan joked he doesn’t expect Bosa to show up with a “beer belly” but conditioning for a player who hasn’t practiced since January is an open question.
Still, he’s likely to have a significant role against Pittsburgh. At the least, he’ll play on passing downs. Last year, Bosa led the NFL with 18.5 sacks, winning Defensive Player of the Year honors. He floats between both defensive end spots, right and left, meaning LT Dan Moore Jr. and RT Chukwuma Okorafor will have to deal with him this weekend.
In his Tuesday press conference, Mike Tomlin compared the 49ers’ situation to Watt waiting until right before the 2021 season to get his new deal. Despite the late signing, he still played 69 snaps, 81 percent, in the team’s opening win against the Buffalo Bills. Watt finished the day with five quarterback hits and three sacks. Top-tier players like Watt and Bosa don’t need much time to get ready and it’s reasonable to expect Bosa to be at his best when the season kicks off Sunday.
