Nick Bosa: 3 bold predictions for 49ers EDGE in 2021

No. 3: Nick Bosa will become the highest-paid defender in the NFL next offseason

Currently, the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player is a defensive end with the last name Bosa.

If the first two bold predictions here come to be, the next player to hold that title may be named the same. If Nick Bosa takes a step forward, leads the NFL in sacks, and wins Defensive Player of the Year, him signing a contract that pays more than that of his brother, Joey Bosa, of the Los Angeles Chargers’ is not impossible.

Bold, but not impossible.

Perhaps the strongest argument against this coming to be is that Nick Bosa will only be going into his fourth year in the NFL. Why would the 49ers make him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player when they could keep him on his rookie contract for the 2022 and 2023 NFL seasons if they exercise the fifth-year option in the deal? Wouldn’t the potential of having a premier defensive player not taking up a large chunk of the salary cap be too much to pass up?

San Francisco 49ers

Well, the 49ers just inked star linebacker Fred Warner to a mega-deal after his third NFL season, so they do not appear to be unwilling to extend players after three years. Plus, with cap wizard Paraag Marathe working his magic, Warners’ new deal had a shockingly low cap hit, so there is no reason Bosa’s couldn’t do the same.

Of course, as Warner was not a first-round pick, there was no fifth-year option in the contract, so perhaps that increased the 49ers’ urgency. But, the Cleveland Browns extended star pass-rusher, Myles Garrett, after only three seasons in the NFL, so perhaps the Niners do the same.

Additionally, it is possible Bosa may force San Francisco’s hand by holding out before the 2022 season. He held out before signing his rookie deal in 2019, as did his brother before his rookie year.

Clearly, a holdout is something Bosa is willing to do, and there would be no better time to threaten a holdout than coming off of a Defensive Player of the Year season. For this reason, Bosa signing an extension that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player seems within the realm of possibility, making it bold prediction No. 3.

Bosa is coming into a season where the sky truly is the limit, especially if he takes a step forward from his already stellar rookie campaign. If he plays at an elite level it is not impossible that he leads the NFL in sacks, wins Defensive Player of the Year, and then capitalizes on his performance by becoming the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player.