So far, the San Francisco 49ers‘ offseason has been dominated by Deebo Samuel‘s trade request.
The do-it-all wideout wants out of San Francisco after a breakout season wherein he set an NFL record for most rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver for a single season.
But while the team is sorting that situation, they’ve made an important transaction on defense, as The Athletic’s David Lombardi shared.
Nick Bosa's fifth-year option, which will be worth around $18m for the 2023 season, is fully guaranteed. Bosa is likely to never play for that option contract, as he'll almost certainly sign a new deal before then, but that's still a nice pillar of financial security for him
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) April 26, 2022
Lombardi tweeted, “Nick Bosa’s fifth-year option, which will be worth around $18m for the 2023 season, is fully guaranteed. Bosa is likely to never play for that option contract, as he’ll almost certainly sign a new deal before then, but that’s still a nice pillar of financial security for him.”
Picking up Bosa’s fifth-year option gives San Francisco much time to finalize an extension with their star defensive end.
While Lombardi mentioned that a deal could be agreed upon before the 2022 season starts, negotiations could still fall through.
That extra year buys the team more time to have Bosa sign on the dotted line.
Extending Bosa Is A No-Brainer
The defense has been the 49ers’ calling card, and Bosa is its anchor.
Last season, he had 40 solo tackles, 14.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
That’s a massive improvement from his rookie season, wherein he had 32 tackles and nine sacks.
It’s also a significant bounce back from his sophomore campaign that ended after two games due to a torn ACL.
Bosa will cash in on his new contract, especially after seeing Maxx Crosby sign a deal with an annual average value of $23.5 million.
He could command a deal that matches Myles Garrett’s $25 million average or maybe even more.
After all, his best years are still in front of him, and San Francisco would like to have him for the long term.
NEXT: 49ers GM John Lynch Has Made His Deebo Samuel Stance Clear