Why Nick Bosa's Holdout Could Linger Through the Preseason

There isn't a rush for Nick Bosa to want a deal done compared to the 49ers who want him at training camp.

Nick Bosa's holdout for a contract extension has now hit the 10-day mark.

On Monday, general manager John Lynch stated that the 49ers have to have the right balance of "urgency" and "patience" with getting a deal done. As the days pass by with Bosa absent from training camp, the urgency will surely be increasing for the 49ers to finalize his extension. 

But for that to happen, Bosa will need to feel similar urgency as well, which I doubt he does. There isn't a rush for Bosa to want a deal done compared to the 49ers who want him at training camp. He easily can have no issues drawing this out. In fact, Bosa's holdout could linger through the entire preseason. 

There are a bunch of other elite defensive linemen in the NFL who are in need of a contract extension. Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones of the Chiefs is currently holding out and due for a massive extension. It doesn't matter too much that Jones plays inside as he's easily one of the best defensive linemen in the league. His deal could have a trickledown effect on Bosa's in some capacity. 

The same goes for Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and Panthers defensive end Brian Burns. These deals need to get done first for Bosa to feel the urgency to get an extension done as soon as possible. At least, that is what I surmise as the reason for why Bosa has been holding out of training camp for this long. 

It's not as simple as a team and a player struggling to find an agreeable number. The market of other players at the same position plays a pivotal role as well. Remember, Deebo Samuel did the same thing last year when D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown were due for extensions. But Metcalf and Brown had deals done by training camp, whereas Bosa still has several other dominoes to fall first. 

The 49ers are likely to have offered him a lucrative deal, but if he signs now, then he will likely have left more money on the table because. Bosa is simply reading the market, which is basic negotiating power for a star player. He holds all the cards. If you're the 49ers, of course you want a deal done as soon as yesterday, especially because you can save some money by doing it first.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, they are going to have to give into the market and be patient. Until those other deals get done with the aforementioned linemen, then I wouldn't expect Bosa to return to the team anytime soon, which makes it possible for his holdout to take the entire preseason.