Nick Bosa absent from 49ers OTAs isn’t a big shock

The bulk of 49ers players are attending 2021 OTAs, but Nick Bosa remains absent while recovering from his ACL tear suffered early last year.

Third-year EDGE Nick Bosa is one of only a handful of San Francisco 49ers players not present during the team’s voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) in advance of 2021 training camp.

Nearly the entire offseason roster is participating, roughly 80 players in all, yet Bosa’s absence shouldn’t be that big of a shocker. For starters, this phase of the Niners’ offseason program is completely voluntary. It’s not until mandatory minicamp beginning on June 15 where all players are fully expected to report.

On top of that, per the San Jose Mercury News‘ Cam Inman, Bosa relocated to Florida to continue rehabbing the torn ACL he suffered in Week 2 last season against the New York Jets. While Bosa’s injury was significant, the slight bonus is the fact it occurred early during the 2020 season and not late in the year, affording him extra time to recover and prepare for this year.

Bosa, San Francisco’s top pick from the 2019 NFL Draft and that year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, spent a sizable portion of his recovery time in Southern California before returning home to Florida.

“Bosa is doing great in his recovery he had a significant injury to his knee but like everything in life, he attacks it head on and 100 percent,” 49ers general manager John Lynch told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan last January. “The only thing with him is pulling him back so he’s not doing too much. He’s making tremendous progress, we’re very pleased with where he’s at.”

Tack on an additional four months of recovery, and one should assume the star pass-rusher should be good to go for the start of mandatory programs.

Nick Bosa doesn’t need to prove much to 49ers anyway

While established impact-player veterans are typically the only ones given special treatment during offseason workouts, especially the voluntary kind, there isn’t much Bosa needs to show the Niners between now and training camp. Outside of getting healthy, which is the No. 1 concern, San Francisco has already seen the kind of impact Bosa provides the defense.

If anything, one should expect the pass-rusher to see only light duties between now and camp anyway, focused more on strength and conditioning rather than honing his pass-rushing moves.

Related Story: Nick Bosa shows off recovery, expected back soon

The bonus here, of course, is Bosa’s absence during OTAs opens up more reps for some of the 49ers’ other pass-rushers buried deeper on the roster. Newly acquired EDGE Samson Ebukam, who saw more of a situational role with the Los Angeles Rams, previously, should get an uptick in looks. Same with another free-agent add, former Las Vegas Raiders EDGE Arden Key along with depth pass-rusher Jordan Willis.

The Niners’ pass-rushing depth is of concern heading into 2021, so the more chances depth players have to showcase their talents and abilities, the better.

Bosa already fits into one of those categories where his offseason team workouts don’t matter much. It’s what he’ll do on the field that matters most.