The San Francisco 49ers just wrapped up their second of three preseason games. There are still 21 days until the regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's plenty of time for the Niners to finish a deal with star pass rusher Nick Bosa.
Of course, most figured the new contract would have been completed by now. The 49ers reported to training camp on July 25. Bosa did not and continues to hold out until a new deal is signed.
"I don't like not having one of our best players here," Lynch said on July 31. "We've got a really good track record that I'm proud of as a group of having our players in. But I also understand it, and understand that we're going to have to exhibit some patience, and understand that, ultimately, this thing will work out. I'm very confident in that."
Both sides have been quiet regarding the status of the negotiations. That has made it unclear how close (or far apart) the 49ers and Bosa's camp are to getting something done. One NFL insider recently shared what he knows about the negotiations.
"They continue to talk," Tom Pelissero told Rich Eisen. "[They have a] mutual goal of getting this thing done before the start of the regular season. His fines are rescindable. There's no reason that he shouldn't be a very, very rich man prior to the start of the season.
"The question is just how do they get the numbers potentially above Aaron Donald, which is where Bosa is going to want to be? It's 31-plus million dollars per year. It's a huge chunk of change. Bosa is also a difference maker. A lot of reasons to believe they'll find a way to get things done, but his agent's tough, Brian Ayrault, and we'll see exactly where those negotiations go."
San Francisco drafted Bosa (6-4, 266) out of Ohio State with the No. 2 overall pick in 2019. He registered 51 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, 48 quarterback hits, a league-leading 18.5 sacks, a pass defensed, and two forced fumbles through 16 starts last season, per Pro Football Reference, earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.