The 49ers are cutting it extremely close with Nick Bosa’s contract

It’s no secret that the approach from both sides of the negotiating table for Nick Bosa’s new contract with the 49ers has been, well, pretty secret.

Bosa’s camp and the Niners have kept the major details of their discussions away from curious reporters since the edge rusher’s holdout officially began at the start of this year’s training camp. All that NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport could actually report on Tuesday was that the 49ers’ offer is over $30 million in annual value. “The question is, does he beat Aaron Donald’s contract [of $31.7 million]?” Rapoport said. “…But the two sides have a disconnect in how it’s configured.”

“It is a Monday, today,” he said. “Tomorrow’s Tuesday. And then Wednesday starts the game week… And if he is not there Wednesday, obviously, it would not bode well for him being able to participate in this week’s game.

“If there is anyone whose resolve you should never doubt, it is someone with the last name of Bosa. We will see if the 49ers and Bosa — who all want this done — we’ll see if they’re able to make it happen.”

This is the Niners’ current reality: The team has let the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year sit for an entire offseason while a brand-new coordinator operates without the defense’s best player just five days before Week 1, all over what appears to be a relatively small gap. The phrase “Father Time is undefeated” is often reserved for players battling against the human body’s natural aging process, but the same can be said about contract negotiations. As time keeps on slipping, the Niners’ lack of public urgency goes from appearing calm, cool and collected to looking complacent about a historically great player.

The team has doled out healthy contracts to stars like Deebo Samuel and George Kittle in recent years, and paydays for other players on offense could be coming. The Niners have maintained a relatively clean cap sheet while doing so, but in the long term, there might not be enough cap space to go around for players like Brandon Aiyuk.

Bosa’s teammates have mostly sounded like linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who said, “It’s just next man up and you just play ball.” But privately, they can’t be thrilled with the idea of a pass rush led by Drake Jackson and Clelin Ferrell.

What’s worse for San Francisco is that Bosa is under no pressure to blink first here, even though perhaps the Niners tried to make that happen by leaking that the extension currently on the table is a “record.” This isn’t a Le’Veon Bell situation. If this holdout goes the distance, and he forgoes the $17.9 million owed in the final year of his rookie deal, he will almost certainly get what he wants somewhere else. NFL front offices have decided that edge rushers, unlike running backs, are worth the big-money deals, especially ones who have recorded 43 sacks in 51 games.

Market realities aside, Bosa’s camp also won’t blink first because of deep-rooted familial pride, according to Rapoport.

“The Bosas take their value extremely seriously,” Rapoport said Tuesday. “From the top, the father, to Joey Bosa to Nick Bosa. If there was one family who could ever hold out into the season, this would be it. I don’t know if that’s going to happen, but I’m just saying, this is one family that believes what they believe, and will take that stance, like essentially Nick Bosa has done.”

Some of Bosa’s beliefs once caused him problems when they spilled over onto social media. Now, others might very well get him a huge payday. Whether or not that’s with the Niners is up to San Francisco’s front office.