Though he’s been holding out all offseason, it always felt like San Francisco 49ers’ defensive end Nick Bosa would reach a contract extension and be ready to go in Week One’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, those chances are looking severely diminished.
The 49ers officially hit the practice field Wednesday, the main game-planning day of the week. And Bosa is not with his teammates, still holding out and trying to reach a long-term deal. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport now considers Bosa’s odds of playing in Pittsburgh this weekend “in doubt.”
Bosa’s holdout can now officially be classified a “regular-season” one instead of just a standard summer absence. Without Bosa, the 49ers lose a large chunk of their pass rush. Last year, he accounted for 42 percent of the defense’s sacks, going on to lead the league with 18.5 of them while winning Defensive Player of the Year honors. He is trying to become among the highest-paid defensive players in football, possibly even surpassing Rams DT Aaron Donald’s mega-deal.
It’s still possible a deal is reached before Week One. And at some point, both sides will come together and agree to terms. It’s a matter of when that occurs and if it’ll happen before the 49ers take on the Steelers Sunday at 1 PM/EST.
At this point, even if Bosa signs a deal within the next 24 hours, he’s almost certainly going to be on a snap count for the opener. That would likely mean still playing in passing situations but it’s hard to believe he’ll go from being at home on Wednesday to logging 60 defensive snaps Sunday, especially with the weather forecast calling for another hot day in Pittsburgh.
Should Bosa miss this game, the 49ers will count on the likes of Drake Jackson and Cle Ferrell to be their pass rush source on the edges. Jackson had three sacks as a rookie last season while Ferrell was a first-round bust of the Raiders, though someone who was also overdrafted. He has just 10 sacks across four NFL seasons.
Bosa’s status is one of many questions the 49ers have coming into this game. How good will QB Brock Purdy look in his first meaningful game action since his terrible elbow injury a year ago? Will TE George Kittle play, dealing with an abductor strain? And who will be the team’s kicker with rookie Jake Moody battling an injury? The Steelers don’t have those questions as they get ready for Week One.
