The latest on Nick Bosa ahead of Steelers vs. 49ers Week 1
Yesterday may have been labor day, but today is an off day for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and most teams around the league. That's because teams are finally in their weekly routine ahead of this weekend's season opener. So tomorrow will be the first day of game week practice for the Steelers and 49ers, often indicating […]
Yesterday may have been labor day, but today is an off day for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and most teams around the league.
That's because teams are finally in their weekly routine ahead of this weekend's season opener.
So tomorrow will be the first day of game week practice for the Steelers and 49ers, often indicating whoever participates will play, and whoever doesn't, won't. Well, that puts us at a little over 24 hours to see if the Steelers will have to worry about reigning defensive player of the year Nick Bosa:
"That Would Not Bode Well for Him Playing Sunday"
"There is no deal yet for Nick Bosa," said Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. "I would say similar to Chris Jones, (maybe without quite the amount of urgency) until there is a significant breakthrough, I do not expect Nick Bosa on the field for the San Francisco 49ers…
"…This really isn't a question of, is he [Bosa] going to be the NFL's highest-paid pass rusher. It sounds to me like they're already they're already there, with Bosa past T.J. Watt [NFL's current highest-paid pass rusher] in negotiations. That's not really what this is about. T.J. Watt is at about $20 million on an average per year basis. This is about how close to Aaron Donald's 31 million and the chances he [Nick Bosa] gets over that. Wednesday starts the game week, if Bosa is not there Wednesday, that obviously would not bode well for him being able to participate in this week's game. We'll see if they will make it happen."
Bosa is a three-time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro, and reigning defensive player of the year. So while from the perspective of a fan with no dog in the race, having the league's two latest defensive players of the year in Watt and Bosa would be a sight to see, it's one Steelers fans, and the Steelers offense is hoping to avoid.
"We Have to Prepare as if He's Not Going to Be Here"
“For us, we just got to play with who we got," 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga told reporters. "We would love to have Bosa, obviously. I think that’s a no-brainer. Best defensive player in the NFL, and it shows. For us, we’ve just got to prepare as if he’s not going to be here. Obviously, that’s an upper-echelon question; that’s a front-office question. And so, for me, I don’t know if I can answer anything else on that, but once he’s here, we’d love to have him."
So we'll see if Bosa shows up to practice, foreshadowing a week one debut similar to the rest of his squad. And while I believe he could show up literally the morning of the game and be a force on the field, missing practice will surely hurt at this point, making Wednesday critical for both sides.
Three matchups to watch during Steelers vs. 49ers Week 1
Here are three matchups that will have a major impact on the Steelers’ outcome in week one.
Featured image via: © Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
