Could the San Francisco 49ers look into trading defensive end Nick Bosa if things turn sour with his contract negotiations in the months ahead?
In a word, no.
49ers general manager John Lynch was asked during his pre-draft press conference Monday about Bosa's availability if teams came calling this offseason and gave a decisive response that should put any questions on the issue to rest.
"Yeah, that hotline is closed," Lynch said. "That never opened."
Bosa is entering into the final year of his contract after a 2022 performance that won him honors as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year (51 tackles, 18.5 sacks, 48 quarterback hits). Bosa's new contract is expected to be a record breaker for a defensive player, but Lynch expects to eventually get it done.
"We're going to focus on this draft, and then I've stated many times that's a priority for this offseason," Lynch said.
The negotiations could last right up to the start of training camp, and possibly beyond. Bosa's agent, Brian Ayrault, is expected to push for a contract in excess of $30 million per year. But the 49ers have a recent history of going through tough contract negotiations and always seem to come out with a solution in the end, usually before camp gets underway.
"History says that we have a really good track record of doing that and making that come to fruition," Lynch said. "And I'm excited about working on that when the when the time comes."