Nick Bosa expected to sign contract extension that tops Aaron Donald's record-setting mark

There’s no doubt reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa is one of the best players in the NFL, but now it’s time for the San Francisco 49ers to pay him as such. Bosa, who’s headed into the final year of his rookie contract, wasn’t with the team during training camp or during the preseason. The reason is due to Bosa angling for a new contract, one that includes a hefty raise but also multiple years of financial security by sticking with the 49ers.

Both sides want to get a new contract in place and have been working toward a solution all offseason long. Yet, now, with the 49ers a little over a week away from their Sept. 10 season opener against Pittsburgh, time is of the essence.

With Bosa still just 25 and amazingly not even at his career peak yet, you can bet the next contract he signs will be of significant value, possibly even one that breaks NFL records. For now, it’s Rams pass-rusher Aaron Donald who holds the record among defensive players as the NFL’s highest-paid defender, earning $31.6 million per season. Is that a mark Bosa is set to top?

According to Tony Pauline, the 49ers are expected to offer Bosa a contract north of $30 million per season. However, they refuse to “break the bank” for him. An offer just north of $30 million would place Bosa in the same ballpark as Donald and possibly even past the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, depending on the final figure.

Yet, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicates Bosa is on track to push past Donald’s annual earnings.

“People I talk to believe that he’ll be the highest-paid defensive player in the league, above Aaron Donald’s $31-plus million, if they can get this to the finish line. The Niners would like to push this through before Week 1, but not a slam dunk, a deal of this magnitude has a lot of nuance to it that they have to shake out with the structure, the guarantees, all of that.”
Jeremy Fowler on Nick Bosa’s next contract

Bosa is set to make $17.8 million this season, the final year of his rookie contract. But after the 18.5 sack season he had, helping the 49ers finish with the NFL’s best defense, he’s well deserving of a big raise. It’s only a matter of time.