The San Francisco 49ers Have a Nick Bosa Problem They Can't Easily Fix

When the San Francisco 49ers extended Nick Bosa in 2023, it looked like a no-brainer decision. However, the deal has turned into anything but that. It has turned in such a way that Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report listed the deal as the fourth worst contract in the NFL.

The 28-year-old's production fell off markedly in back-to-back seasons before he missed all but three games in 2025. It appears he peaked as Defensive Player of the Year in 2022
Brad Gagnon

San Francisco 49ers are paying for Nick Bosa in the worst way

Bosa was coming off of an 18.5-sack season in 2022 when the team decided to give him the extension before the 2023 season. He had put together 34 sacks in two seasons. Bosa has not been able to get anywhere close to that peak since.

He recorded 10.5 sacks in 2023. It was a good year for Bosa, but not quite spectacular for his ability. Then, in 2024, he started to have some injuries pop up. He played in only 14 games and produced just nine sacks.

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This has led to the 2025 season, when he tore his ACL. He looked good to start the year, with two sacks in three games. However, that accounts for his having 21.5 sacks in three seasons. Going from averaging 17 sacks to seven per year is a steep drop. The worst part is that they are paying him as if they are getting the 17-per-year player.

Now, Bosa is starting to get closer to age 30, when players can hit their peak. Considering he is coming back from an injury, we might have seen the last of Bosa’s best. If not, he may only have one or two more years left in him.

The biggest issue is that if Bosa struggles again next year, he is nearly impossible to move on from. He has a $54M cap hit coming up next season. Meanwhile, if the team moves on from him, they would have to eat $49M before June 1 and $21M after June 1.

It would be hard to get through free agency with that hit on their books and then move him after June 1. So, the 49ers' best move is likely to try to extend him. However, if his 2026 season is anything like his 2025, they simply cannot continue to pay him for future years.

Unless Bosa can get back to a version of his old self, his play is starting to put them in a tough spot. The Bosa contract looks bad now and could end up looking even worse in the next year or two.

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