Nick Bosa Contract Extension

Nick Bosa has ended his holdout and was able to reach an agreement with the 49ers. This latest deal is the highest non-quarterback contract in NFL history. Let's break it down. 

Terms of the Deal

Bosa signed a five-year, $170 million extension that will keep him under contract through the 2028 season. This brings his current contract total to $188.9 million. Bosa's AAV (average annual value) for new money comes out to $34 million, which is the most for a non-quarterback. 

Guarantees

This deal includes $88 million guaranteed at signing which consists of the $50 million signing bonus, 2023 P5 (base) salary ($1.01 million), 2024 P5 salary ($1.125 million), 2025 P5 salary (1.17 million), 2024 option bonus ($15.23 million) and a portion of his 2025 option bonus ($18.965 million). 

If on the roster on April 1, 2024, $10.5 million becomes fully guaranteed, which is the remaining portion of his 2025 option bonus and the 2025 per-game active bonuses.

If Bosa is on the 49ers roster on April 1, 2025, $23,444,421 becomes fully guaranteed, which is his 2026 P5 salary and $764,421 of his 2027 P5 salary.

Cap Breakdown

By using the proration structures of the signing bonus and option bonuses, the 49ers were able to keep Bosa's cap hits relatively low for the first three years of the deal. However, in 2026 his cap hit skyrockets and continues to do so in 2027 and 2028. $5.8 million will automatically hit his cap for the 2028 season as the 49ers included a void year in the contract. We could likely see a restructure before the 2026 season, as a $42 million cap hit on one player is hard to work with. 

Cap Hit by Year

- 2023: $11 million
- 2024: $14.6 million
- 2025: $20.5 million
- 2026: $42 million
- 2027: $52 million
- 2028: $42 million
- 2029: $5.8 million

Cash Breakdown

The majority of Bosa’s earnings will come this season due to the massive $50 million signing bonus. 

Cash Flow by Year

- 2023: $51.01 million
- 2024: $16.8 million
- 2025: $30.6 million
- 2026: $23.1 million
- 2027: $33.1 million
- 2028: $34 million

Contract Table

Final Thoughts

This is a great deal for Bosa. He secures a massive contract with high guarantees. This is most definitely a back-loaded contract which isn't unusual, but with how much cap space the 49ers currently have, I would have imagined that they would allocate more cap dollars to Bosa's 2023 cap hit. 

This extension is another example of the benefits of operating with a quarterback still on their rookie deal.