One more sack. That's all San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa needed to get into the organization's record books. The pass rusher entered Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals with 17.5 sacks this season, two shy of the franchise single-season record of 19.5, set by Aldon Smith in 2012.
Bosa got to Cardinals quarterback David Blough in the second quarter, giving him 18.5 on the season. Bosa didn't have an opportunity to get a second. He, along with several other starters, was pulled late in the regular-season finale and watched from the sideline as his team rolled to a 38-13 victory.
Bosa had spoken to his head coach, Kyle Shanahan, earlier last week. The defensive end's primary focus was to lead the league in sacks, which he ended up doing. Bosa had his helmet on late in the game. It wasn't because he was thinking about returning to the field. It's because he was receiving updates on Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick, who entered Week 18 with 16 sacks. Bosa wanted to make sure Reddick didn't surpass his mark.
"We've got a lot more important things to do, so I'm just happy I got that," Bosa told reporters after the game. "I think we're the No. 1 defense. ... That's another big one we wanted too, so it's all good."
The 49ers are barely the No. 1 defense, but the best nonetheless. San Francisco's unit allowed 300.6 yards per game, while Philadelphia's allowed 301.5.
The decision to pull Bosa out before he could match or surpass the record wasn't easy for Shanahan. However, it was necessary.
"Hopefully, he finished leading the league [in sacks]. He did, right?" a concerned Shanahan asked reporters. The coach wanted to make sure that goal was at least met.
"It would have been nice to also get the franchise record too, but Aldon did a hell of a job, and I think Nick's pretty happy with leading the league this year," Shanahan continued.
The important thing is that Bosa finished the season healthy, and the 49ers have their best defensive player ready for the playoffs. They will host either the Seattle Seahawks or Green Bay Packers next weekend during the Wild Card round.
Bosa has racked up 34 sacks over the past two seasons and 43 since entering the NFL as the No. 2 overall pick in 2019. The defensive end is the frontrunner for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.