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The San Francisco 49ers may have the most salary cap space in the NFL at around $71.7 million (per Over the Cap). But that doesn't mean all of the contracts on their books are good ones.
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon ranked the top-10 worst contracts heading into the 2026 season and put Nick Bosa's five-year, $170 million extension at No. 4.
San Francisco signed Bosa to the historic contract in September 2023, anchoring the defense with $122.5 million in total guarantees. At the time, the investment was a direct reward for his 2022 Defensive Player of the Year campaign, during which he paced the NFL with 18.5 sacks and 48 quarterback hits. However, the 28-year-old’s production has since fallen off markedly in consecutive seasons, raising questions about whether his physical peak is already behind him.
Following his award-winning year, Bosa's sack total dropped to 10.5 in 2023, accompanied by a decline to 35 quarterback hits. The downward trajectory continued into 2024, when he registered just nine sacks over 14 games. The primary setback occurred in 2025, when Bosa suffered a torn ACL in his third game of the season, limiting his final output to 17 tackles and two sacks. It marks the second major knee reconstruction of Bosa's professional career, following a previous ACL tear sustained during the 2020 campaign.
The true complication of the deal lies in its future salary cap mechanics. Because the front office restructured that deal to convert $21.47 million of Bosa's 2026 salary into a signing bonus to reduce his cap hit by $17.17 million this year, it also increased the cap hit in future years by $4.29 million.
As a result, the 49ers face a severe financial penalty if they attempt to alter course with Bosa's future.
The front office would have to absorb a dead money hit just shy of $50 million simply to move on from the defensive end after the 2026 campaign. That reality virtually locks Bosa onto the roster for his age-30 campaign in 2027, where he is now scheduled to carry a current cap hit of $54.9 million. That figure represents the highest cap charge by a wide margin among all NFL defensive players, presenting a significant roster-building challenge for San Francisco.
Bosa is still an elite player when healthy, so it's not the worst thing in the world to be paying one of the best edge rushers top-market dollars. However, Bosa hasn't played up to that level recently, meaning the return on investment for his services will continue to look worse and worse until his previous performances resurface.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Nick Bosa's contract ranked among top-5 worst deals heading into 2026
Continue reading...
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon ranked the top-10 worst contracts heading into the 2026 season and put Nick Bosa's five-year, $170 million extension at No. 4.
San Francisco signed Bosa to the historic contract in September 2023, anchoring the defense with $122.5 million in total guarantees. At the time, the investment was a direct reward for his 2022 Defensive Player of the Year campaign, during which he paced the NFL with 18.5 sacks and 48 quarterback hits. However, the 28-year-old’s production has since fallen off markedly in consecutive seasons, raising questions about whether his physical peak is already behind him.
Following his award-winning year, Bosa's sack total dropped to 10.5 in 2023, accompanied by a decline to 35 quarterback hits. The downward trajectory continued into 2024, when he registered just nine sacks over 14 games. The primary setback occurred in 2025, when Bosa suffered a torn ACL in his third game of the season, limiting his final output to 17 tackles and two sacks. It marks the second major knee reconstruction of Bosa's professional career, following a previous ACL tear sustained during the 2020 campaign.
The true complication of the deal lies in its future salary cap mechanics. Because the front office restructured that deal to convert $21.47 million of Bosa's 2026 salary into a signing bonus to reduce his cap hit by $17.17 million this year, it also increased the cap hit in future years by $4.29 million.
As a result, the 49ers face a severe financial penalty if they attempt to alter course with Bosa's future.
The front office would have to absorb a dead money hit just shy of $50 million simply to move on from the defensive end after the 2026 campaign. That reality virtually locks Bosa onto the roster for his age-30 campaign in 2027, where he is now scheduled to carry a current cap hit of $54.9 million. That figure represents the highest cap charge by a wide margin among all NFL defensive players, presenting a significant roster-building challenge for San Francisco.
Bosa is still an elite player when healthy, so it's not the worst thing in the world to be paying one of the best edge rushers top-market dollars. However, Bosa hasn't played up to that level recently, meaning the return on investment for his services will continue to look worse and worse until his previous performances resurface.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Nick Bosa's contract ranked among top-5 worst deals heading into 2026
Continue reading...
