The Pittsburgh Steelers fan base has been hopeful this preseason. No, not just hopeful in the state of the black-and-gold as they prepare for Week 1, but hopeful the San Francisco 49ers, who will come to Pittsburgh for the season opening game, will be without their star pass rusher Nick Bosa.

Bosa has been holding out all of training camp and the preseason in hopes for a contract extension. Up until this point, Bosa has been away from the team as he tries to leverage himself to be one of the highest paid pass rushers, and defenders, in the NFL.

As of Wednesday, it is being reported the 49ers and Bosa should have a deal done “within the next few days”. This per Jason Dumas:

Source: Nick Bosa will be with the team and available to play Week One in Pittsburgh. The two sides plan to get a deal done “within the next few days.”

— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) August 30, 2023

For Steelers fans, this situation might sound familiar. It was just a few years ago when T.J. Watt was in almost an identical situation. Watt wanted a contract extension as he entered his 5th year of his rookie contract, but he also handled things differently. Watt performed a “hold in” where he never missed a day of camp or the preseason, but never participated in any team drills/activities. Watt would go through the individual drills, attend meetings, but didn’t want to risk injury.

That year, the Steelers traveled to play the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, and Watt signed his new deal just before the start of the season. Watt played, and played well, but you could see he wasn’t nearly in game shape as the game played out.

Could this be a similar situation with Bosa when the 49ers travel to Pittsburgh in Week 1? Could he have an impact, but not nearly as much as he would have if he would have been with the team the entire preseason?

Only time will tell, but Steelers fans are watching this situation closely, and rightfully so. Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the upcoming regular season.