San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch sees no reason to sweat Nick Bosa’s decision to stay away from training camp.
Bosa plans to keep his distance from San Francisco until the business of a long-term contract extension is addressed.
“I don’t like not having one of our best players here,” Lynch said Monday. “We’ve got a really good track record that I’m proud of as a group of having our players in, but I also understand it. And understand that we’re going to have to exhibit some patience and understand that ultimately this thing will work out.”
Bosa was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 with a league-leading 18.5 sacks. He was third in quarterback pressures with 58.
He’s entering the final year of his contract and has been a dominant force for the 49ers’ front since 2019. He reported for mandatory minicamp but otherwise has trained away from the team in Florida while waiting for a new deal.
But Bosa said there was no insistence from his side to the team that a contract extension must make him the highest-paid player — or defensive player — in the NFL. Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald makes more than $31 million per year.
Lynch said the 49ers will withhold fining Bosa, which is permitted by his contract with the team, establishing the two sides are chasing the same end goal.
Even with a new defensive coordinator, linebacker Fred Warner believes Bosa will be there when it matters. He said defensive teammates know there is not a reason to fret over Bosa’s conditioning.
Lynch agreed Bosa will always look great in the mirror, but believes there will be a point when the team needs to strongly encourage him to rejoin the locker room.
“I think that’s important to not only give yourself the best chance to not only play at the highest level but to stay healthy,” Lynch said.
–Field Level Media