Nick Bosa Reacts to the 49ers Trading DeForest Buckner

Nick Bosa spoke to Bay Area reporters on a video conference Wednesday morning for the first time this offseason, and didn’t have much to say about himself. He said he’s been saying inside like the rest of us during the global pandemic.

But when a reporter asked Bosa about the 49ers trading DeForest Buckner, Bosa had lots to say:

“Just losing him as a leader, we’re going to have to really figure out how to step up and fill that void, because he was the third-down, D-line play caller, and he was the hype/speech guy. He was everything. And I think he played with the best effort on the D-line, which really shows on tape when you see somebody that big sprinting to the ball every play and making those tackles downfield. And obviously his pass-rush ability. We’re going to have to step up. We have Javon coming in, and I’m sure he’ll be a huge help. But me, Dee (Ford), Arik (Arsmtead), Solomon (Thomas), D.J. (Jones), Ronald (Blair) -- we’re all going to have to step it up.”

Before I get into what Bosa said, let me just say, God love him. Most football players wouldn’t answer that question with thoughtful specifics -- the head coach wouldn’t want them to. Most football players would say, “I miss Buckner, he’s my brother, but it’s a business and the next guy will step up.” And they’d say this just to make sure they wouldn’t upset the coach or the general manager or the owner.

Bosa doesn’t care. He always tells it like it is after losses, and apparently after trades, too. He understands how valuable and irreplaceable he is to the franchise, so he speaks his mind. He is a journalist’s dream.

And he gave Buckner all his props. Not only is Buckner a great pass rusher, he was the hardest worker on the defensive line and the leader. Replacing him will be a gigantic task.

Bosa said all the defensive linemen need to step up, and he’s right. The entire group will have to make up for the loss of Buckner. But Bosa already does his part. He already plays hard and leads by example.

Armstead needs to do more.

Bosa didn’t call out Armstead specifically, but could have. And I am. Armstead will be 27 in November. The 49ers pay him $17 million per season. And they chose to re-sign him instead of Buckner. Meaning Armstead needs to step up more than anyone.

Armstead is good, but good isn’t good enough. He also needs to be the vocal leader on the field, and he needs to be the hardest working defensive lineman, the guy who chases every play downfield, like Buckner did. Armstead doesn’t always chase plays -- sometimes he jogs after them. He did lots of jogging in the Super Bowl. He’s inconsistent.

Time to run hard, Arik. Bosa is watching you.