SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Nick Bosa’s lengthy contract holdout ended four days before the start of the season for the San Francisco 49ers when he agreed to a contract extension that will make him the NFL’s richest defensive player ever.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that the two sides agreed to the contract and that Bosa is on his way to the team facility. Now Shanahan is glad he can stop thinking about what it would be like for the Niners to open their season without their best defensive player.
“You try not to think about it much because it’s not really in my control and let the process play itself out,” Shanahan said. “As it went through the weekend, I just kind of got it in my mind that we weren’t playing with him. If I had gone back and forth, I would have been miserable. I just decided we weren’t. ... It’s a hell of a bonus to get him here. We’re obviously really excited about it.”
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Shanahan said Bosa would have to show up with a “beer belly” and “be out of shape” not to play the season opener at Pittsburgh on Sunday but added that’s “not in Bosa’s DNA.”
Chiefs’ Jones: ‘I just want a raise’
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who has been in the midst of a contract dispute, left open the possibility that he could be on the field for the Kansas City Chiefs when they open the season on Thursday night against the Detroit Lions.
Jones has been working out in Miami throughout the offseason and training camp while his agents, Jason and Michael Katz, negotiate with the Chiefs on a potential extension. Jones is entering the final year of a four-year, $80 million deal, and said in his first public comments Wednesday that he “just wants a raise” like any other employee in any line of work.
“Hopefully it gets worked out,” said Jones, who was accompanied by the Katz brothers on a trip to visit with kids at Ronald McDonald House Charities. “It’s always been my goal to be a Kansas City Chief for life. I’ve said that multiple time on social media platforms, from interviews, and they know where my position is at.”
Nassib announces retirement
Edge rusher Carl Nassib, the NFL’s first openly gay player to play in a regular-season game, announced his retirement on Wednesday.
Nassib came out in 2021 while with the Las Vegas Raiders. He spent last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“This is a bittersweet moment for me but after seven seasons and just over 100 NFL games I am officially retiring from football to focus on my company Rayze,” Nassib wrote on Instagram. “It really feels like just yesterday starting out as a walk-on at Penn State.
BRIEFLY
RAIDERS: Defensive end Chandler Jones was not at the Las Vegas facility on Wednesday, a day after he posted, then deleted social media posts critical of Raiders management, and his status for Sunday’s season opener at Denver is in question.
RAMS: Los Angeles receiver Cooper Kupp and backup quarterback Stetson Bennett will miss the season opener in Seattle on Sunday because of injuries.
PANTHERS: Two-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Brian Burns returned to practice on Wednesday amid stalled talks on a contract extension, although his status for Sunday’s Week 1 game at Atlanta remains uncertain.
COMMANDERS: Washington had a surprise guest for its pre-practice meeting when Magic Johnson stopped by the team’s practice facility to talk to players and coaches for the first time since becoming part of the ownership group that bought the team this summer.
BILLS: Buffalo is drawing upon the lingering memories of an emotionally draining season last year and believe it is stronger because of it thanks to the emphasis coach Sean McDermott placed on mental health. McDermott is credited for putting football aside and being sensitive to player needs during a season unlike no other in Buffalo.
BENGALS: Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow went full speed in practice Wednesday and said he’s on track to play in Sunday’s opener at Cleveland after a calf injury sidelined him for most of the preseason.
CARDINALS: Arizona still hasn’t announced a starting quarterback for Week 1, but it’s expected that Joshua Dobbs will take the first offensive snap on Sunday against the Washington Commanders.
SAINTS: New Orleans rookie reserve quarterback Jake Haener has been suspended for the first six games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers, a league spokesman said Wednesday.
