49ers' Nick Bosa 'Not Necessarily' Looking to Become NFL's Highest-Paid Defender

San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa may not reset the market when he signs his next contract.

The three-time Pro Bowler, who's entering the final year of his rookie deal, told reporters Tuesday he's "not necessarily" looking to become the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

Of course, that doesn't mean Bosa will be giving San Francisco a big hometown discount, either. Any money a key player is willing to leave on the table can help, though, in a salary-capped league.

Bosa is coming off his best season. He finished 2022 with 51 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and an NFL-high 18.5 sacks, an output that will probably earn him the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Having solidified his status as an elite pass-rusher, the 25-year-old is in a great position to start getting paid like one.

At a little less than $31.7 million, the Los Angeles Rams' Aaron Donald has the highest average salary for a defender. The Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt is second at $28 million, and the Los Angeles Chargers' Joey Bosa is third at $27 million.

Watt collected the most guaranteed money at signing with $80 million. Joey Bosa follows closely behind at $78 million.

Donald is a bit of an outlier because he's one of the single most dominant defensive players in recent history. He also had the Los Angeles Rams over a barrel to renegotiate his contract as they looked to defend their Super Bowl title.

Assuming Nick Bosa doesn't match or surpass Donald's salary, it's safe to assume his contract will average out to the high 20s and maybe even hit $30 million. If nothing else, he'll probably want to earn more than his older brother for bragging rights.

The 49ers front office will already be more than aware of this, so it has probably earmarked a sizable chunk of the cap for Bosa's extension.