Nick Bosa, a former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, has thrown the 49ers preseason into a contractual mess and he is still holding out, despite reassurances by GM John Lynch.
Going into their weekend hit-out preseason game against the Chargers, the 49ers will be hoping the boardroom matters matches their on-field intensity.
Bosa, a pass-rusher and a backbone defensive player but he is in the fifth-year option of his contract and is holding out for a reported $30 million in annual value.
With a week 1 trip to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers, Lynch is quietly confident the holdout will end soon.
The San Francisco team had a top-notch 2022 regular season going 13-4 in the NFC West and will be looking for a repeat this campaign.
“I don’t like the situation. Since our tenure here we haven’t had a holdout anywhere near this magnitude. Not something I am comfortable with …” admitted Lynch.
“He’s a special player, he’s getting a special contract, I can tell you that. We’re getting closer and we’re eager to bring this thing to a close,” he added.
The 25-year-old seems to be holding all aces and will trying to match LA Rams average annual payment to defensive player Aaron Donald.
If Bosa continues holding out when the season starts, he could be liable for a $1 million fine for each game.
The former No. 2 pick in 2019 is a three-time Pro-Bowl player and has posted 43 sacks since joining the team.
