The clock still ticks on the 49ers' efforts to finalize a Nick Bosa contract extension before the 2023 NFL season opener, but John Lynch remains positive.
The 49ers general manager spoke to reporters Friday night after the preseason finale and remained steadfast when asked if he still was optimistic that an agreement with the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year could be reached before Week 1.
“Yeah, I do,” Lynch said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, and we'll continue to do that. He's a great player. We want him here. We need him here.”
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Bosa, who’s on the final year of his rookie contract, has held out since the start of training camp while the parties try to work out what will be a mega-deal for the All-Pro pass rusher. While the 49ers' defensive front is talented, it's elite with Bosa.
Bosa has been a consistently dominant player since the 49ers picked him No. 2 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, with 43 sacks in 51 games. The only season in which Bosa didn't receive Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors was in 2020, when he missed all but two games with an ACL injury.
Coach Kyle Shanahan also remains positive about the situation, and hopes a deal can be reached “sooner than later.” While the 49ers braintrust knows Bosa will arrive in top shape after the holdout ends, being in football game shape is an added necessary element. So, they'd much rather have him in-house well before the Sept. 10 season opener.
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With just two weeks left before the team boards its charter flight to Pittsburgh, though, Bosa remains in Florida. The pressure is on.