Nick Bosa's 49ers Contract Extension 'Will Take Patience,' Says GM John Lynch

Nick Bosa is widely believed to become the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history when he signs an extension with the San Francisco 49ers, but general manager John Lynch isn't looking to rush the process.

Speaking to reporters Monday at the NFL league meetings in Phoenix, Lynch said the team will address Bosa's contract "at some point" but a deal "will take patience" to work out.

Bosa is set to earn $17.9 million in 2023, the final season of his rookie contract.

The 49ers' track record of signing their own core players to extensions is good, though they haven't been without some bumps in the road.

Deebo Samuel requested a trade last offseason because he was uncomfortable with how head coach Kyle Shanahan used him during the 2021 season and was unwilling to engage the team in talks on a long-term extension.

The bad feelings didn't last long because Samuel got a three-year extension worth up to $73.5 million in July.

In the past, San Francisco has gotten deals done around the start of training camp. Samuel, tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner all signed extensions between late July and mid-August.

Bosa's situation will likely follow a similar path, though it would be in the 49ers' best interest to get a deal done this offseason. His market value will only go up after this year as other top-tier defensive players sign new deals. There's also an expected cap spike in 2024 with all of the new television money coming into the league.

San Francisco does have several players already signed to lucrative contracts. In addition to Samuel, Kittle and Warner, Trent Williams, Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead and Christian McCaffrey are all making at least $16 million per season.

At some point, Lynch and Shanahan will likely have to move on from one of their key players given the volume of expensive deals already in place. But it doesn't seem like it will happen with Bosa.

There's no reason for the 49ers to put a Bosa extension off beyond this offseason. He's been an instrumental part of their success on defense since being drafted No. 2 overall in 2019.

The 25-year-old has made the Pro Bowl three times, has 106 quarterback hits, 56 tackles for loss and 43 sacks in 51 career games. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year last season after leading the league with 18.5 sacks.