The 49ers’ Nick Bosa deal has gone from obvious to awkward in a hurry.
What once looked like a clean, can’t-miss extension in 2023 is now drawing real scrutiny, with Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report ranking it as the fourth worst contract in the NFL. And the numbers behind that judgment are hard to ignore.
San Francisco paid Bosa after his monster 2022 season, when he piled up 18.5 sacks and reached 34 sacks over two years. Since then, he has not come close to that level of production. He finished 2023 with 10.5 sacks, a solid year by most standards, but not the game-wrecking stretch the 49ers were buying.
The decline sharpened in 2024, when injuries started to pile up. Bosa appeared in only 14 games and produced nine sacks.
Then came 2025, when he tore his ACL. He did open the season well, recording two sacks in three games, but the larger picture is stark: 21.5 sacks across three seasons.
That drop matters because the contract still reflects the version of Bosa who looked like one of the league’s most dominant pass rushers. Instead of getting a player averaging 17 sacks a year, the 49ers are getting closer to seven per season.
Age only adds another layer to the problem. Bosa is getting closer to 30, and after this injury, it is fair to wonder whether the best version of him is already in the rearview mirror. If he does bounce back, the window may be short - maybe one or two more seasons.
The financial side makes the situation even tougher. Bosa is set to carry a $54M cap hit next season, and moving on from him would be brutally expensive. The 49ers would have to absorb $49M before June 1 or $21M after June 1.
That kind of dead money would make it difficult to operate in free agency, which is why extending him again may be the likeliest path. But that only works if Bosa shows he can still play at a level that justifies the investment. If 2026 looks anything like 2025, the 49ers will be stuck with a player they can’t comfortably cut and can’t easily keep paying.
For now, the contract is already a problem. If Bosa can’t rediscover his old form, it could get much worse.
In Other News...
49ers Suddenly Linked To A Brandon Aiyuk Trade With QB Stakes
Brandon Aiyuks situation has only grown murkier for the 49ers, with the receiver not having played since October 2024 and his status around the roster increasingly difficult to ignore. Once viewed as part of the long-term offensive core, he now sits at the center of a conversation that has less to do with production and more to do with whether San Francisco can still count on the relationship at all.
Into that uncertainty comes the kind of speculative trade chatter that tends to follow a disgruntled star, and it comes with quarterback implications attached. Any move built around Aiyuk would force the 49ers to think beyond the receiver room and into their broader quarterback plan, especially with Mac Jones future in San Francisco already pointing toward a short stay and a possible eventual hunt for a starting job elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Safety Battle Already Has One Newcomer On Shaky Ground
The 49ers added Patrick McMorris in late April, giving the safety room another name to sort through as camp approaches, but his path looks narrow from the start. McMorris spent part of 2024 in Miami, where he appeared in six games before moving on to the practice squad circuit, and he arrives in San Francisco with the kind of profile that usually needs a strong summer to stand out.
Instead, the early read is that he has work to do just to stay in the conversation. Questions about his tackling, range and burst have made him a longshot for a regular-season spot, which leaves him fighting for a place in a crowded room that already has more established and higher-upside options. For now, the more realistic outcome appears to be another practice squad stint, unless he can change that evaluation before the 49ers have to trim the roster. [Read more 🡒]
One Under-the-Radar 49ers Addition Could Finally Settle Left Guard
The 49ers spent much of the offseason looking for reliable answers along an offensive line that has been in flux, and the left guard spot is still one of the cleaner training camp battles to watch. Chris Foerster has kept that competition open, with Robert Jones and Bret Toth among the names in the mix, while Toths value may stretch beyond one position since he is also expected to handle backup center duties no matter where he lines up.
For a team trying to make Brock Purdys life easier and keep the offense balanced around its established playmakers, that kind of stability matters as much as flashier additions on either side of the ball. Jones, in particular, has drawn attention as a low-profile pickup with the kind of experience and efficiency that can quietly settle a spot the 49ers have not fully locked down yet, even if the final call is still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]