SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As San Francisco 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman chatted with local media upon reporting for his seventh NFL training camp Saturday afternoon, he let everybody know he's constantly on the lookout for those who doubt his ability.

When a reporter pointed out that Bowman was named first-team All-Pro last year after missing the 2014 season because of a devastating knee injury, Bowman acknowledged it doesn't matter how real a slight might be. He's going to find anything that might give him additional motivation to stay on top of his game.

NaVorro Bowman has been named to four All-Pro teams with the 49ers. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

"Yeah, I still look for slights," Bowman said. "Of course my wife does; she reminds me every day what they are talking about. It's just something that internally as a player, you want the respect from everyone. We go out there, we risk our lives, we dedicate everything to this game. When someone says something you don't approve of, you have got to just prove them wrong. I think that's what makes you a great player."

About 24 hours later, in the same room in which Bowman made those comments, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke was asked about the nearly $50 million in salary cap space the team kept on ice for most of the offseason. Baalke ran down a list of free agents the team has invested in over the years, but also said the preference is to spend that money to retain the team's own key players.

Just a few days later, Baalke and the Niners put their money where their mouth is, signing Bowman to a four-year, $44 million contract extension that could keep him with the team through the 2022 season.

"Over the last six years, NaVorro has become a cornerstone of our organization and securing his future in the Bay Area was a priority for us," Baalke said in a statement. "The perseverance he displayed while overcoming adversity and returning to his All-Pro form provides a great example of what can be accomplished through hard work and self-belief. This contract extension reaffirms our core philosophy of rewarding our own players and we are thrilled to know NaVorro will play his entire career with the 49ers."

In that core philosophy one can find understanding of what Baalke and the Niners are trying to accomplish by signing Bowman. Long before Bowman signed this latest extension, he'd already signed a lucrative deal that would keep him in San Francisco through 2018. And though Bowman, 28, isn't exactly young and ascending, he's in his prime and the team's primary leader, with four first-team All-Pro honors.

In signing a third big contract with three years left on his deal, Bowman and the Niners are setting an interesting precedent. Such contracts are rare in the NFL. But Bowman's extension sets a bar for his young teammates to strive to achieve. It gives Bowman a chance to be a Niner for his entire career and enter the rarefied superstar air occupied by some of the team's Hall of Fame legends.

By investing in Bowman first, the Niners sent the message that hard work turned into production can lead to a long, lucrative career with the team. It's a deal that should have safety Eric Reid, linebacker Aaron Lynch and cornerback Jimmie Ward, among others, sitting up and taking notice.

In making sure Bowman spends his prime years with the team, the 49ers also send the right message to the locker room. Rather than investing, say, $12 million a year in a player from the outside, isn't it better to invest that money in guys who are known commodities within the locker room and to the fan base?

"You have to deal with the locker room," said Baalke, who spoke about the perils of "spending top dollar to bring [a newcomer] in and you've got your own locker room that you have to take care of at the same time. So there's a lot of reasons why you don't get into major free agency and just don't believe in it."

There are, however, plenty of reasons to believe in Bowman, as his extensive résumé; would attest. Now that he's another year removed from that knee injury, both Bowman and the 49ers believe he's closer to the dominant form he showed before it happened. Sure, some will question whether Bowman can return to form, so he can still search for fuel to add to his fire.

The only thing we know for sure is that Bowman won't be finding any of those slights coming from within an organization that so strongly believes in him. Which leads us to a simple truth in the complicated world of NFL contracts: You can never go wrong rewarding your best player.