49ers' most overpaid player is superstar edge with $170 million contract

Coming into the 2026 NFL offseason, the San Francisco 49ers knew they needed to resolve three key issues. One of which was the wide receiver room, which has been addressed with Mike Evans and Christian Kirk's additions.

But left tackle with Trent Williams and his massive cap hit is a big issue as well. However, even though he's slated to count for over $39 million against the cap in 2026, he's not the most overpaid player on the 49ers.

According to Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon, that distinction goes to $170 million superstar edge rusher Nick Bosa. Despite winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, Bosa might have already reached his peak, and this $170 million deal will age poorly.

Nick Bosa named most overpaid player on 49ers

"Bosa is awesome, but his production fell off markedly in back-to-back seasons before he missed all but three games in 2025," Gagnon writes. "It's fair to wonder if he peaked as Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. If so, that five-year, $170 million contract will become problematic."

The 49ers are spending a ton of money on Bosa to be their best defensive player, other than Fred Warner. But, at the premium position of edge rusher, Bosa's production has been lacking.

He's the seventh-highest-paid defender in the entire NFL, a distinction that should go to someone who is making a significant impact every game.

He had 10.5 sacks in 2023, 9.0 sacks in 2024, and across three games in 2025, he had just 2.0 sacks. Of course, his injury in 2025 makes his current $170 million deal look like an overpay.

But he could easily dispel those worries with another great season in 2026. He has 64.5 sacks in his NFL career and 86 tackles for loss to go with 278 total tackles.

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Bosa is a five-time Pro Bowler and a former All-Pro as well. He is making a bit too much for a just-good edge rusher, as $170 million over five years is a ton of money.

While there are reasons to be worried about Bosa going forward, his $22.9 million cap hit in 2026 isn't nearly bad enough for fans to be worried that Bosa is being overpaid.

If he doesn't come back from this injury right in 2026 and struggles for a full season, then it would be time to be concerned. That's too premature right now, as Bosa is still a good player.

But, compared to his status as an edge rusher coming off injury, who is also only getting older at 28 years old, his $170 million contract is a lot, and as Gagnon noted, it makes Bosa the most overpaid player on the 49ers roster right now.

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