Given their history during Kyle Shanahan’s time as head coach, it was no surprise the San Francisco 49ers made life extremely difficult for Aaron Rodgers in Week 1, and it was similarly no shock that defensive end Nick Bosa was leading the charge in swarming Rodgers on the New York Jets quarterback’s first appearance since tearing his Achilles in last year’s season opener.

Bosa is eyeing a return to the production that saw him named Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, when he led the league with 18.5 sacks. The 49ers’ 32-19 triumph over the Jets on Monday Night Football was an excellent start, with Bosa registering five quarterback pressures and, although the 49ers could not carry their momentum from that opening win into Week 2 — going down to the Minnesota Vikings — Bosa did get off the mark with a pair of second-half sacks.

In short, it hasn’t taken Bosa long to deliver a reminder of his immense qualities. He has displayed tremendous explosion off the snap, power that is the hallmark of his game and impressive flexibility. The 49ers are going to need more of that as they plot another run to the Super Bowl after falling just short on the biggest stage last season.

***

The 2019 second overall pick’s dominance is a product of elite preparation. Bosa is remarkably dedicated to his craft, which he hones while practicing alongside brother Joey, star defensive end for the Los Angeles Chargers, in the offseason.

Bosa would accept his preparation for 2023 wasn’t ideal, as he only returned to the team just a few days before the season after his wait for a contract extension came to an end. How much that played into his sack tally dropping to 10.5 last season is open for debate, but the signs from the first game are that his decision to report to the team in May this year is set to pay dividends, not just for Bosa but for teammates who have benefited from an extended first-hand look at how he prepares for the gruelling marathon of an NFL season.

Rookie right guard Dominick Puni worked closely alongside Bosa during training camp, with offensive linemen frequently tasked with going against him and his fellow defensive linemen in one-on-one drills. For Puni, it is the consistency of Bosa’s preparation that stands out most.

“Bosa, he does the same thing every single day,” Puni told Gridiron exclusively. “He shows up same time, does the same routine every day, and he just doesn’t break it for anything. Every time I see him, he’s always dialled in, he’s always locked in. I mean, it just makes it easy for him on gameday. For the short time I’ve been here, that’s what I’ve noticed.”

It looked very easy for Bosa at times against New York, even as he was tasked with going against a future Hall of Famer in Jets’ left tackle Tyron Smith, and his first sack of the season in Minnesota saw him brush aside Christian Darrisaw, one of the league’s highest-paid tackles with an effortless two-hand swipe move.

On the other side of the ball, Puni was excellent in his debut, allowing just one quarterback pressure, with at least a small part of his early success attributable to Bosa.

“He has, yeah,” Puni said when asked if Bosa had inspired any changes to his preparation. “Sometimes he’ll sit down with me at lunch and just talk to me about his rookie year and what he expects, how good I’ve been doing, something I need to work on. I’ll ask him all the questions in the world. He’s open to answer. So I just kind of soak it in. With any of the superstars on the scene, I just try to soak it all in and ask as many questions as possible.”

Bosa’s influence on the primetime beatdown of the Jets stretched beyond his own game and pointers given to Puni. The impact of the pass rusher’s willingness to go the extra mile is difficult to measure, but it’s clear his leadership made a difference as the 49ers limited the Jets to just 14 first downs and 68 yards in an outstanding all-around defensive display, and it will be crucial to the Niners’ success in bouncing back from the Vikings loss.

“I think, for someone to be a leader, you don’t have to be the best player, but he is one of the best players on the team, obviously.” added Puni of Bosa. “So he just commands a certain level of respect. And then, after that, he’s just always on top of things with the guys. I hear from the defense, he’s just always saying something to help them in the meetings. Stuff he doesn’t have to do, he’s doing. So it’s awesome.”

As Puni alluded to, the 49ers have a lot of superstars in their locker room, but one who is emerging on the defensive side of the ball is safety Ji’Ayir Brown, who had an interception of Patrick Mahomes in last season’s Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Brown believes Bosa’s pastimes away from the facility have a significant impact in setting him apart as one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL.

“I believe what separates Bosa is his mental approach to the game and his mental approach to his mind outside of the facility,” said Brown, again speaking exclusively. “Bosa does a lot of reading. Spends a lot of time reading books and learning new things. So being able to get your mind in that kind of zone can be a big help on the field.”

Bosa’s veracity as a reader comes across in his press conferences, to which he clearly takes a thoughtful and considered approach. Indeed, he is a player who picks his words carefully, and that has led to him becoming the man who speaks to the entire team the night before each game. Those speeches have become the stuff of folklore inside the 49ers’ facility but, for Brown, what is most important is that Bosa backs up his words with consistently devastating play on the field.

Asked what makes Bosa such an effective leader, Brown replied: “His ability to get the job done. He’s one of the best in the business in getting the job done.”

There’s no sign of Bosa losing that reputation as one of the best in the business any time soon and, as long as his leadership qualities continue to rub off on the defense and the team as a whole, the 49ers will likely be in an excellent position to get the job done in 2024.