Nick Sorensen spoke about the former Defensive Player of the Year
Last season, the San Francisco 49ers had a contract negotiation with Nick Bosa that bled right into the start of the regular season. Bosa didn’t miss any games during his contract talks but admitted that missing training camp wasn’t ideal for his conditioning, and he didn’t notch his first sack until Week 3 against the New York Giants.
While the sack production wasn’t there, Bosa’s pressure numbers to begin the season were on par with his typical seasons. According to PFF, Bosa finished with 14 sacks, his lowest total since his rookie season, where he finished with ten. However, Bosa finished with the highest amount of pressures (95), hurries (60), and pass-rushing snaps (567) of his career.
Bosa turned the pressure up a notch in the playoffs with 27 pressures (including 12 in the Super Bowl), two sacks, 10 QB hits, and 15 hurries. Still, two sacks in the postseason would be his lowest total from his three playoff runs.
New Defensive Coordinator Nick Sorensen spoke at length about how important training camp has been for Bosa and the expectations for the 2024 season for the former Defensive Player of the Year.
How would you describe DL Nick Bosa’s training camp? He obviously was late last year, and he said that was part of the reason he sort of started sluggishly. How much different does this feel and how much do you sort of need him to get back to that super high level?
“I feel like it’s been a great camp. I think he knew from the start, even talking to him when I called him in the offseason, I think that was always kind of his plan. And like you said, he’s mentioned it in the past missing some time last year and going through it. He felt certain parts of his game, well now it feels like it’s sped up and he’s been real deliberate in how he’s attacked it. It was cool to have him for a bit of the time in the offseason too. I think all that stuff together, I don’t think it’s ever one thing, but the fact you get better by practicing and playing football and doing football things. And he’s done more of it early. So I think, I expect that he’ll have a good year and I think he’s in really good shape too. He’s in a good mindset and state of mind as far as how he’s attacking it and his attitude.”
The bottom line is that the 49ers need Bosa to finish plays with sacks while providing constant pressure if they want to have a deep playoff run in January and February. The 49ers expect big things from Bosa in 2024.