On Christmas Eve against the Washington Commanders, Kyle Shanahan might as well have been the Grinch in Nick Bosa's mind. Bosa was not happy when the coach called for the San Francisco 49ers defensive end to exit the game. He wanted to remain in the game and try to add to his already NFL-leading sack total of 17.5.
After the game, once he had time to think about the situation, Bosa thanked Shanahan for making the tough call and pulling him out with the win already well in hand.
"Nick's pretty smart," Shanahan told NBC Sports Bay Area this week. "He wants the records very badly, but he knows the bigger picture."
The 49ers would prefer not to risk the talented defender. After all, the number one defense in the NFL depends on a strong pass rush, and Bosa, on his way to becoming the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is the heart of that pass rush.
Still, Bosa has his eyes set on the franchise's single-season sack record of 19.5 set by Aldon Smith in 2012. He has two more games to match or surpass that mark. However, if Bosa wants to achieve that goal, he better try reaching opposing quarterbacks early in games. He might not be playing in the fourth quarters if his team continues to earn big leads.
"We've got a lot to play for still," Shanahan said. "We're going to keep doing it that way. If he's ever banged up or anything like that, or if the game's out of hand and we know who the winner is going to be, then we'll shut him down right away."
The 49ers have already secured a home playoff game after winning the NFC West. That can grab the No. 2 seed if the Minnesota Vikings stumble in these final two weeks, but San Francisco will not fall below the No. 3 seed.
Records or not, a healthy Bosa is the key to the 49ers defense's playoff success.
Shanahan added, "We won't say, 'Hey, you go in there and try to get that record.' So it is limited, but I think he's still got a good chance to do it."