It doesn't seem that long ago when All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa signed a lucrative five-year, $170 million contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.
That precedent-setting deal seemed ludicrous at the time, especially considering how Bosa effectively held out until the 11th hour to ink the extension. And it's fair to wonder if that precedent ultimately upset the Niners with how it was handled.
Two years later, though, San Francisco has to be looking at the Bosa deal -- one worth an average of $34 million per year -- as a comparative bargain.
This, thanks to the blockbuster trade-and-extend deal that sent All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys to the Green Bay Packers.
Micah Parsons' deal with Packers makes Nick Bosa look cheap
At the time of Bosa's extension, which came the offseason after he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, the primary question floating around the league was whether he or Parsons was the best defender, period, ultimately decided by Bosa taking home the hardware.
Of course, the versatility Parsons displayed -- doubling as both a backer and defensive end -- make things a bit more complex, and this undoubtedly played into his contractual standoff in Dallas.
But, with Parsons now taking home an annual average of $47 million, Bosa's $34 million per-year deal looks awfully cheap.
ESPN Sources: Cowboys are trading three-time All-Pro LB Micah Packers to the Green Bay Packers.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 28, 2025
Parsons and the Packers already have reached agreement on a four-year, $188 million contract. @DavidMulugheta of @Athletesfirst had a hand in the trade and ultimately negotiating the… pic.twitter.com/Hznxabll0P
Granted, annual averages aren't necessarily the best indicators of a contract's true value. But Parsons' $120 million fully guaranteed also wholly outshines Bosa's figure of $88 million in the same category.
Bosa is signed through 2028, but it's reasonable to assume the 27-year-old defender would want to renegotiate his deal with San Francisco at some point between next offseason and the final year of his current contract, especially in light of how much the market for front-seven defenders has exploded recently.
That's a problem for another time, though, even if both Bosa and the 49ers now have to monitor the situation closely.
Should Bosa reemerge as one of the NFL's best pass-rushers and defenders in 2025 -- and Parsons should help motivate him to do this -- there's little doubt the Niners would have to reward him accordingly.
For now, though, Bosa is an absolute bargain, thanks to Parsons and the Packers.