Late last week, we had an update on San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa and his contract situation that wasn’t much of an update.
The latest one isn’t much better. But what the 49ers believe – that the glass is half empty – and what their opponent this Sunday believes, that it’s half full – is rather ironic.
Per Josh Dubow of The Associated Press, several 49ers are preparing as if Bosa won’t be in the lineup when the team plays at Pittsburgh at noon on Sunday, the season opener for both teams (Nick Bosa’s holdout from 49ers is endangering his status for the start of the season | AP News). The Steelers, on the other hand, seem to believe they’ll be protecting their quarterbacks from No. 97.
“We just have to play with who we’ve got,” All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga said Monday. “We’d love to have Bosa, obviously. That’s a no-brainer. Best defensive player in the NFL and it shows. We just have to prepare as if he’s not going to be here. That’s an upper-echelon, that’s a front-office question. I don’t know if I can answer more on that. Once he’s here we’d love to have him.”
Most players are realistic and can separate football from business.
“You have to understand that guys, when you have these opportunities, you’ve got to do what’s best for yourself and your family,” safety Tashaun Gipson said. “Obviously having a guy like Nick on the field with us is huge. He’s the best defensive player in the National Football League. One of the best players in the league. So having him here is a huge, huge benefit. I think all 31 (other) teams would agree with that. But right now, we’ve just got to focus. Whenever he shows up, we know he’s going to be who he is.”
If you ask Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, though, Bosa is likely going to be rippin’ and runnin,’ as Tomlin told ESPN that he believes one way or another, Bosa is playing (Mike Tomlin – Steelers prepping as if 49ers will have Nick Bosa – ESPN).
“We are preparing for Bosa,” Tomlin was quoted in the story, from his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “It is prudent for us to assume that he’s going to be there and prepare in that vein as opposed to be surprised.”
Bosa’s presence could be impactful even if he’s serving as just a decoy, since he missed all of the preseason and camp. But the former Ohio State star did have 18.5 sacks last season.
