Nick Bosa's contract status is the biggest remaining San Francisco 49ers-related offseason storyline. The star pass rusher did not report to training camp on July 25, staying away from the team as he awaits a new contract.
Bosa expects to become one of the highest-paid defenders in NFL history, if not the highest-paid. Negotiations have dragged out much longer than anyone anticipated.
General manager John Lynch didn't have any updates for listeners during a radio interview this morning. The 49ers and Bosa's representatives prefer to keep the negotiation details private, and the Niners have done an excellent job of that, much to the media's disappointment.
"What I'll tell you is that the communication is ongoing, it's good, it's healthy, and we're working to try to get something done," Lynch noted.
In his own interview with local radio station KNBR, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if he has any deadline date to which he would feel uncomfortable playing Bosa in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"I don't," Shanahan told Tom Tolbert and Ray Ratto. "I've never had to make that decision before, and I won't make that until I see him. I mean, I'm gonna do everything I can [to see] that he plays against Pittsburgh, but I can't make that decision until you see a guy, you see him out there.
"Hopefully, we get a chance to get him into practice next week, and if he is, that'll make it a much easier decision for us."
Earlier today, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks shared that he isn't terribly concerned about Bosa staying in shape and ready to play. The head coach feels the same way.
"I think he's been in that shape since he was probably two-and-a-half years old, and he continues to work at it," Shanahan said. "So I know he'll be in shape. I know he'll be ready to go. It's just when he gets here, and making sure he's in football shape, and we don't do anything that jeopardizes not having him later."
San Francisco's regular season kicks off in 10 days.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.
