Why the 49ers Should NOT Extend Nick Bosa
There is a chance that the 49ers extend Nick Bosa this offseason.
Deebo Samuel may be leading the charge for an extension, but Bosa is right there with him. He and Samuel have had similar careers so far. Both had a great rookie season, an injured 2020 year, and then a phenomenal 2021 performance.
The demand to extend Samuel is heavier than Bosa because Samuel does not have the luxury of a fifth-year option being picked up by the 49ers. Whereas Bosa does since he was a first-round pick. The 49ers would surely love to have two more years of control with Samuel as it would be easier to give him a lucrative deal with one more year of production entering the final year of his deal.
And that is why the 49ers should NOT extend Bosa.
What is the rush? Investing so much money in a player should be a fairly cautious decision. And making that decision will come significantly easier with another year to showcase at an elite level from Bosa. The Niners would sure wish that they could have that option with Samuel, but since it is the final year of his deal, Samuel has to play hardball.
Bosa on the other hand can wait for his deal. The 49ers may just want to be sure he isn't an injury prone player. The real injury concerns between Samuel and Bosa lies with Bosa the most and it stems back from his college days. He's had multiple significant injuries and you just have to wonder if you're the 49ers how long his body can keep up before breaking down. It is a fair concern to have and something that can make them hesitant to offer an extension with him. They do have two more years on his contract after all, so there isn't anywhere near a rush with him as with Samuel.
And if you're Bosa, you're saying NO regardless what the 49ers offer. Assuming he is confident in his health, he is sure to command much more money next year than now. Adding another season of dominant production will only increase his value along with the fact that the pass rusher market is going to explode with players around the league needing deals. This offseason the pass rusher market was stagnant. Chandler Jones and Von Miller were the only heavyweights available.
It behooves Bosa to tell the 49ers, "Thanks, but no thanks!" to an extension right now. To be quite frank, not extending Bosa does Bosa a heftier favor than the 49ers doing themselves. I explained Thursday why the 49ers SHOULD extend Bosa and it is solely for their benefit financially. If you're Bosa, by no means should you accept a contract knowing that all you have to do is produce another impactful season. Odds are that he is going to replicate his 2021 season into 2022.
The 49ers could wait to see if Bosa really is the truth as he's only demonstrated his impact for two seasons. Not to mention that his rookie year was kind of reliant on Dee Ford as his sacks really only came from when Ford was active opposite of him. So one more year will make the 49ers feel at ease giving him a heavy contract. Even if it is significantly more than what they would pay for him this offseason, having that comfort and assuredness of cashing out a player who is one of the best is never a bad thing.
And Bosa will easily oblige should the 49ers go that route.
