The San Francisco 49ers got some great news this week when defensive end Nick Bosa signed a massive five-year, $170 million deal, ending his holdout with the team.
Despite being away for the entire offseason, the 49ers expect Bosa to play, with head coach Kyle Shanahan joking that the only factor ruling his defensive end out would be a "beer belly".
With Bosa back in the fold, how should the Steelers prepare for the 49ers defense?
One NFL analyst shared a bold take, believing the Steelers should do the unthinkable: run straight at Bosa.
Former NFL quarterback and current analyst Ryan Leaf shared the hot take ahead of the 49ers-Steelers Week 1 matchup on Sunday, believing it to be the catalyst for getting running back Najee Harris going.
"If I'm them, I'm running Najee Harris right at Nick Bosa every single play they run the ball," Leaf said. "He has not been prepared for anything like that."
The take is certainly bold, given that Bosa has profiled not only as an elite pass-rusher, but also a quality run defender throughout his NFL career.
Still, Leaf believes the time off for Bosa will prove to be costly and that the Steelers should exploit that potential advantage.
"He's going to have a tough time not having had to deal with anything during training camp," Leaf said. "So, Najee Harris at him all day long. Pulling guards, getting him, kicking him out, figuring out ways to isolate him in the running game."
Leaf followed the sentiment by predicting the Steelers to upset the 49ers at Acrisure Stadium to begin their 2023 season.
Will Leaf's ideas come true on Sunday? Or will the Steelers shy away from daring Nick Bosa, learning from their own case of contract issues when fellow pass-rusher T.J. Watt erupted two days after signing his deal in 2021, recording two sacks?
It all comes to a halt on Sunday morning when the two teams kick off their 2023 season.
