Report: Nick Bosa, 49ers agree to 5-year extension worth $170M

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa has agreed to a five-year contract extension with the team, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal is reportedly worth $170 million with $122.5 million guaranteed, making Bosa the highest paid defensive player in NFL history.

A former No. 2 overall pick out of Ohio State, Bosa is set to enter his fifth pro season in 2023. He was named the AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 after leading the NFL with 18.5 sacks in addition to 51 tackles (19 for loss) and a pair of forced fumbles.

The contract extension for Bosa was a major storyline this offseason with reports Wednesday morning indicating he missed a team meeting in the midst of the holdout. Now concerns can be put to the side as Bosa made a post to his Instagram account just moments after the announcement of the news with the caption “Shall we.”

Nick Bosa is ready to go 💪 pic.twitter.com/l8WygHEdnx

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 6, 2023

Bosa will make $34 million annually per the terms of his contract, which also includes a $50 million signing bonus, another league record. That surpasses Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who makes $31 million per year on his three-year $95 million contract.

Before the contract extension, Nick Bosa was set to enter the final year of his rookie contract with a projected salary cap hit of $18 million.

Bosa has done nothing but impress so far in his first four seasons in the NFL. He began his pro career by winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2019 with 47 tackles (16 for loss), nine sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL in his second season and played only two games.

Bosa returned in 2021 and didn’t skip a beat. He finished the year with a league-high 21 tackles for loss in addition to 15.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. The defensive end’s 34 sacks over the past two seasons are more than any other player in the NFL.

Prior to singing Bosa to an extension, the 49ers already had more than $263 million in projected liabilities for the 2024 cap. That number will inevitably increase with the news of Bosa’s massive extension, but it’s worth it to keep a player of his caliber.

San Francisco is coming off of a 13-4 record in 2022 and will kick off the upcoming season at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.