An exuberant Fred Warner entered the San Francisco 49ers locker room yesterday, joyously shouting for his teammates' attention.
"I was really just walking in here, and Fred came yelling," defensive tackle Javon Hargrave shared with reporters.
Why was Warner so happy? He had just learned from defensive coordinator Steve Wilks that the Niners had finally signed superstar pass rusher Nick Bosa to a contract extension. Bosa, who had been holding out for a new deal since the start of training camp on July 25, was on his way back to rejoin his teammates.
"I'm sure everybody knows how he makes everybody's life easier," Warner told reporters before yesterday's practice. "Not just me. Being one of the most dominant defensive players in the league in the run and pass game, just the most complete player on the edge, clears a lot of things up for me."
Tackle Trent Williams admits he didn't miss going against Bosa in practice. What he did miss was talking things through with his friend.
"I do miss being able to pick each other's brain and just having him here, him being in my corner, me being in his corner," Williams said. "I definitely miss him. ... He's one of those guys that you really need in the locker room."
It was just Monday that players were downplaying Bosa's absence. They were preparing to play their Week 1 opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, without the league's best pass rusher. That was the mindset, and players insisted that their next-man-up mentally would overcome the challenge.
Was that really the mindset?
"I guess it doesn't matter now that he's here, so we ain't even got to talk about it," Warner said with a big smile on his face after laughing at the question.
Bosa was a big part of why the 49ers defense was the top-ranked unit last season. His league-leading 18.5 sacks helped earn the defensive end the coveted NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
Now, his teammates are relieved to have him return to the fold.
"It's just a good morale boost to have one of our best players back on the team," Warner shared. "Players and leaders. I'm just ecstatic to have him back."
No one in the 49ers locker room holds anything against Bosa for staying away from the team for so long. Players like Warner and Williams remember what the business side of the NFL is like, having recently gone through their own contract negotiations with the 49ers.
"The team can't wait to welcome him with open arms," Williams said. "The arms might have to be a little wider because he got bigger pockets now, but we definitely going to welcome him back with open arms."
