49ers vs. Lions: Proof Nick Bosa was held without penalty being called

A photo is circulating on Twitter that shows 49ers EDGE Nick Bosa’s jersey wasn’t in the best of shape after the Lions game on Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers defensive line getting held without penalty on the opposition has been a long-running complaint for Niners fans, most notably late in the franchise’s Super Bowl matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in February of 2020.

And now, after Sunday’s win in Detroit against the Lions, it appears that the fans finally have some visible proof (you know, outside of all the screenshots of moments in the game).

Making the rounds of Twitter over the last few days have been a photo of Niners EDGE Nick Bosa‘s game-worn jersey look a little worse for the wear:

The tweet comes from 49ers assistant equipment manager Donovan “Doc” Dressler, who has been in that role with the team for 20 years. This provides some credibility to the photo, which is clearly coming apart at the literal seams.

Dressler notes that the equipment team had to stitch the jersey up at halftime so it wouldn’t fall apart in the second half, although it did end up ripping even further after the intermission in spite of their best efforts.

I feel fairly confident Bosa isn’t the first 49ers or NFL player to have his jersey fall apart on him during a game, but the location of this particular ripping certainly suggests that the Lions’ offensive line was putting their hands where they didn’t need to be as they tried to stop the former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year from getting after quarterback Jared Goff.

And, yes, there is the age-old argument that holding happens on almost every place, it just comes down to how much the refs are willing to tolerate.

But this image, combined with some of the others from this game and others, definitely gives the impression that 49ers’ opponents are getting away with their fair share or possibly more.

This isn’t to suggest that the NFL has some sort of conspiracy going against the 49ers (in spite of what many 49ers’ fans would want you to think), but Bosa’s jersey indicates an egregious level of missed calls against one of the league’s best defensive lines.

Heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Eagles in Philadelphia, 49ers’ fans’, and the pass rushers themselves, will be hoping that isn’t overlooked quite as much.