Nick Bosa has to be considered the favorite for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The San Francisco 49ers pass rusher racked up two more sacks on Saturday against the Washington Commanders, nearly had a third, and might have had a fourth if sacks on two-point conversions counted toward the season total. The point is, Bosa was a game-wrecker in Week 16, and it's hard to imagine anyone thinking another defender has been more impactful this season.
"That's a dream," Bosa said of potentially winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year while speaking to reporters after the 49ers' 37-20 victory, their eighth consecutive win. "I've played this game since I was seven years old. I've played D-line the entire way through, and I've watched guys throughout the years and just wanted to be in that position. And I finally feel like I'm kind of living out my dream."
Nick Bosa's robe was a gift from George Kittle pic.twitter.com/ieIVT2Moaj
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) December 25, 2022
Most feel Bosa is a lock for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The pass rusher consistently impresses his teammates. Tight end George Kittle has called him—and tackle Trent Williams—the best player in the league.
"You believe me yet?" Kittle asked reporters. "I'm happy I play for the Niners. I wouldn't want to be a tight end that plays against him. I mean, he's better than everybody else. He's a better athlete. He's stronger. He's faster. He's so smart. The moves that he does, he's so creative. He's so good at getting offensive linemen's hands off of him. His effort is always there. When Bosa gets a sack, it just kind of ignites the entire team too."
Kittle added that the defense is filled with playmakers, but Bosa is the key to the unit, the best in the league.
"I think today secured his defensive MVP [campaign]," Kittle noted. "I don't know how it doesn't. And if you look at what he does every [game] compared to everyone else around the league, whether it's offense or defense, I don't know why [he's] not in the MVP conversation too. He's the most talented player on the field, I think besides Trent Williams. But I don't think they're going to give an MVP to an offensive lineman.
"Every single day, [Bosa is] just an absolute monster. All those sacks, they're earned and deserved. He's fantastic, and he's never not good."
Bosa now has a career-high and league-leading 17.5 sacks this season. He is two sacks away from matching the 49ers' single-season franchise record of 19.5 set by Aldon Smith in 2012. That, not the 22.5 single-season league record by Michael Strahan, is Bosa's goal.
"It's (the NFL sack record) not the main thing on my mind," Bosa said. "I'm kind of eyeing the nineteen-and-a-half more than that. Aldon."
The 25-year-old pass rusher is clearly getting better each season, and he's gaining more confidence as his experience mounts.
"I feel like I have an answer for every type of blocker at this point," Bosa said, attributing his growth to improved film study and game preparation. "Some better than others, obviously, but it's going well."
Bosa added, "Just getting more comfortable and honing in on my moves in different situations. Just play recognition. I've been watching more film this year. Film kind of used to cloud my mind a little bit. I just kind of wanted to stick with what I do. But now I'm really watching a little more tape, getting more comfortable in the run game. I can see things coming, and then the muscle memory takes over."
Linebacker Fred Warner says it is "insane" to witness the level Bosa is playing on defense.
"That's a big reason why our defense is performing the way it is, because we know it takes all 11," Warner explained. "The rush and the coverage work together, and knowing that he's on the field and has that opportunity to get home, you get stickier in coverage, and you sit on routes. He's just been playing out of his mind."
