Probably the biggest question mark surrounding the San Francisco 49ers is the status of edge rusher Nick Bosa. He is coming off another ACL tear and, while he practiced earlier in training camp, has been out for a while now with tendinitis in his surgically repaired knee.
It seems legitimate, but after it was revealed that running back Christian McCaffrey was shut down for a couple of weeks, ostensibly due to a calf issue with others speculating that it had to do with a contract dispute, it’s not entirely irrational to think the Niners are doing something similar with Bosa.
San Francisco has been incredibly cautious with its veterans ahead of the regular season. They’re wise to be careful because there’s no reason to overwork players like Mike Evans or Dre Greenlaw this time of year, especially for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Bosa is in that same boat. The Niners are a different animal when he is at his best, and he is coming off two straight seasons in which he was hampered by injuries. He’s coming off his third ACL tear, and it’s fair to wonder if he'll ever be able to fully return to form.
49ers's defense would be devastated if Bosa's injury is serious
What's particularly alarming is that, outside of the All-Pro veteran, the Niners have little in the pass-rushing attack. Mykel Williams is coming off his own ACL tear and is not expected to be ready for Week 1. Keion White was shot in the ankle earlier this year. Romello Height is an undersized rookie and will surely endure growing pains.
There are so many question marks surrounding this group, especially after the 49ers ranked dead last in defensive sacks last season.
A similar defensive effort would be devastating this season. The pass rush affects everything else around it. If the edge rushers are getting to the quarterback, it alleviates pressure from the secondary, thus making their job much easier.
One can only hope that the Niners are just being cautious with Bosa and this is not a serious issue. If the goal was to follow the same McCaffrey model where he practices a bit, gets shut down, and then ramps up again right before the season, then he should be back to practice sometime next week ahead of the season opener in Australia.
If he does not show up at practice by then, it likely means his injury is more serious, and the Niners will be in big trouble this season.
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