49ers' Kyle Shanahan: Nick Bosa Contract Holdout Taking as Long as I Thought It Would

San Francisco 49ers edge-rusher Nick Bosa has continued his contract holdout with the team's regular season opener now less than three weeks away, but head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the negotiation is going as he expected.

"It's going pretty much exactly how I expected it to go," Shanahan said, per David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone. "It's kind of just been exactly what I thought. ...Yeah, I had a feeling it would [take this long]."

Shanahan was asked when he thought something might be finalized, and he responded: "Hopefully sooner [rather] than later."

Bosa is entering the final season of his rookie deal after the 49ers picked up their fifth-year option. He's due a guaranteed salary of $17,859,000 in 2023, but a long-term contract extension has not yet come to fruition.

The 25-year-old is the reigning Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year after amassing an NFL-high 18.5 sacks for the top-scoring defense in football. He also accounted for 51 tackles (41 solo) and 48 quarterback hits. The three-time Pro Bowler even finished sixth in the AP NFL MVP voting results.

Bosa is clearly deserving of a long-term deal, and his absence would certainly hinder the team's defensive efforts. His loss was felt in 2020 when Bosa played just two games after suffering a torn ACL. The 49ers finished No. 17 in scoring defense that year, which saw the team suffer a litany of injuries on both sides of the ball.

The former Ohio State star began his career by earning nine sacks en route to Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He added 15.5 more sacks and an NFL-high 21 tackles for loss in 2021.

San Francisco has made the NFC Championship Game in each of Bosa's three full seasons, winning once in 2019.

His impact can't be understated, making the prospect of his holdout all the more concerning. It's also unclear when Bosa will return, but Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda posited that he could miss regular-season time.

"Sources tell me the Bosa situation could last a while and it's not out of the question the three-time Pro Bowler could miss the start of the season due to the contract dispute," Pauline wrote.

Pauline also reported that both Bosa and Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones are seeking a deal that would "match or exceed" the contract of Los Angeles Rams superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who is on a three-year, $95 million deal.

Ultimately, there's still time for the 49ers and Bosa to get something done before he misses any regular season action. The team opens the season on Sunday, Sept. 10 at the Pittsburgh Steelers.