The San Francisco 49ers have been without edge rusher Nick Bosa for several weeks now. They’ve still won every game despite missing their defensive cornerstone, and general manager John Lynch said on Friday that there’s a chance Bosa could suit up and play in Week 6 against the Washington Commanders.
Lynch didn’t exactly sound bullish on the idea, as he said their hope is that they want to get him back for good and limit the chance for re-injury. That’s why the Niners would be foolish to bring him back this month and should wait until after the bye week.
The Niners have two more games in October: the Monday night contest against Washington at home, and a road trip to Atlanta to face off against the Falcons. Neither of those games is going to be easy. The Commanders beat the Seattle Seahawks earlier this season, and Atlanta has been much improved since the return of quarterback Michael Penix.
49ers must prioritize Nick Bosa's health over early-season wins
Still, it’s too big of a risk to bring Bosa back if he is not fully healthy. The Niners have shown their defense can play just fine without him, and the team put a lot of pressure on Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold last week, sacking him five times.
This is a great opportunity for the Niners to develop other players on the defensive line. Let Jaden Dugger take some more runs at the quarterback. See if Gracen Halton can continue to play well after a huge game against Seattle. Let Keion White add to his team-leading sack total.
If the red and gold are going to make a deep playoff run, they’re going to need the entire defensive line to play well. It can’t just be Bosa alone bringing pressure. Other players must step up, and that can only be done if they have had enough prior reps.
San Francisco needs Bosa to be ready for the playoffs. That’s when having a player of his caliber can really change a game. If he were to come back too early and re-injure himself, it would be adevastating loss for a team with Super Bowl aspirations..
The Niners have an older, injury-prone team, and the only way they’re going to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy is if they are cautious with their star players in the season's early stages. That’s why Bosa should only come back after the bye week, where he can make his much-anticipated return against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9.
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