Signs that you’re a superstar: Fans are complaining about your “lack of production” if you go more than two games without registering a sack.

He’s been handsomely compensated for his work. However, I’m still not sure the average fan appreciates everything San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa has to deal with on a weekly basis from the opposition.

Bosa remained in the top 10 last season in double-team rate, but that didn’t prevent him from finishing inside the top 20 in run stops, despite playing 138 fewer snaps than the player in first place. (That same player, Anfernee Jennings, was double-teamed at one of the lowest rates among all qualifying edge rushers.) Bosa was the only respectable defender along the starting defensive line last year, which is why he was the only starter to return as we head into 2025.

Unsurprisingly, despite the attention he received, Bosa remained one of the most lethal pass rushers last season in what felt like a “down” year if you’re looking at sack totals. The only two pass rushers who had a higher winning percentage during the regular season were Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons. Bosa was also in the top five in quarterback hits, which is a sign that his pressure numbers were far from “empty.”

A home game in Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks summed up Bosa’s worth to what was already a fragile defense. Up until the final possessions, Seattle had done nothing all game. Bosa leaves, and Geno Smith turns into Lamar Jackson, and the Niners lose a game they had no business losing. Oh, and Bosa for the next three weeks.

Basic Info

Age: 27

Experience: 6 accrued seasons

Height: 6’4

Weight: 266 pounds

Cap Status

Bosa enters the third season of his $170,000 million contract. It feels like a decade since his offseason drama. His $50,000,000 signing bonus was broken up into five separate years so that Bosa will receive $10 million in 2025 of that prorated bonus, including an $8.84 million option bonus. As of April 1, 2025, Nick’s guarantee of $20.13 million became guaranteed, including another $10.5 million guaranteed for injury.

He’s not struggling for cash.

The “old guy” is needed more than ever

Bosa, who turns 28 in October, is beyond a seasoned vet in the defensive line room. He’s got a six-year head start on the players with whom he’ll likely share the field the most: Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and C.J. West. Robert Beal Jr. and Sam Okuayinonu entered the NFL in 2023. Last year was Evan Anderson’s first season.

This group is young. Like, probably never recorded multiple movies on a VHS tape growing up, young. I think it’s essential for fans, along with the coaching staff, to brace for inconsistencies and potential moments that will make you pull your hair out.

That puts more pressure on Bosa to stay healthy, which is something Bosa has consistently done well during his career. He missed three games after Week 11 last season. You can’t help but wonder how different it would have been had San Francisco been in the playoff race. But Bosa only missed one game in three seasons combined since tearing his ACL.

The young players need his knowledge. His advice. They need to heed every word that comes out of Nick’s mouth and learn from any mannerism he has.

Another DPOY campaign?

Bosa has been unblockable for much of his career. I still don’t think he gets enough credit for a 15.5 sack campaign one year after a severe knee injury. What he did in 2022 was borderline obnoxious. That was one of the most dominant seasons from a player in recent memory. And it’s not as if Bosa fell off in 2023. He actually had more pressures than any other season during that Super Bowl run.

Will it take another Defensive Player of the Year campaign in 2025 for the 49ers to go on a deep playoff run? It feels hyperbolic, but I lean yes. Expecting Williams and Collins to hit the ground running and look like top 50 picks the second they step onto the field is naive. It will take time for them to perfect their craft.

It certainly doesn’t hurt that they’re playing alongside Bosa, but No. 97 can show them how to win better than he can tell them. And if you’re going to put pressure on any player, why not your best? I envision defensive coordinator Robert Saleh getting creative, moving Bosa around more, and everyone on defense benefiting.

If we’re talking about the 49ers making a playoff run, the Niners need the best version of Nick Bosa to thrive in 2025.