49ers' Nick Bosa Won't Be Traded amid Contract Holdout, per HC Shanahan and GM Lynch | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Daniel Santos Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa is still holding out, but San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were quick to dismiss the idea of the team trading the star pass-rusher.
"No," Shanahan told reporters when asked if the team would consider such a move. "I haven't talked to many people about that, but I know how I feel. Pretty strongly. I think everyone would agree to that."
John Chapman @JL_ChapmanAre the 49ers going to trade Nick Bosa?<br>Kyle Shanahan... <a href="">
That sentiment was echoed by Lynch.
San Francisco's season opener is on Sept. 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Bosa is running out of days to sign if he is going to be on the field.
Lynch previously told reporters he expects to sign the Ohio State product by Week 1, but Shanahan said, "I can imagine anything, doesn't mean I like the picture," when asked about Bosa not playing against the Steelers.
Fortunately for 49ers fans, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported during an appearance on SportsCenter that there was some "optimism" a deal would get done in the near future:
"A little bit more optimism here with his contract with the 49ers because teams I've talked to expect him to put up a massive number, somewhere in that $30M+ per year. He's considered the best pass rusher in the NFL. The 49ers have prioritized that; they know that. They want to get this done. It's just a deal of this magnitude with a lot of nuances about it, the structure, the amount of years, a lot to sort out. So, still some time here."
Bosa will likely become one of the highest-paid defensive players in the league whenever he does sign his new deal.
After all, he is 25 years old and coming off a season that saw him finish with 51 tackles, a league-best 18.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass defended. The three-time Pro Bowler has been excellent for the 49ers since they selected him with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft, and there is no reason to think that will change in the coming years.
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is the highest-paid defensive player in the league at an average annual value of $31.7 million.
That may change, though, before San Francisco starts the season.