There was already worry brewing over the fact that San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa had missed multiple practices in a row. That worry turned into fear when it was revealed Bosa has been dealing with tendinitis in his surgically repaired knee, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
While Shanahan tried to play it down, one cannot help but worry about Bosa. He’s already had several ACL surgeries, and the possibility this one doesn’t seem to be healing properly suggests this could be a lingering issue.
Less than ideal.
The Niners are already thin at edge rusher, which is why this Bosa news should spur them to make an obvious addition by signing free-agent edge rusher Leonard Floyd.
Leonard Floyd is a perfect contingency plan for 49ers
This has seemed like an obvious move for a while, for a number of reasons. The Niners do not have a lot of edge-rusher options, and last season, they finished dead last in sacks. So, if they don’t want a repeat of that, they should probably beef up the depth chart at least a little.
New defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is a big fan of Floyd. The veteran played for Morris when he was the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams, and then again last season on the Atlanta Falcons when Morris was the head coach.
That means Floyd familiar with the defense and can be plugged in right away if needed. That’s important, especially when the 49ers have so many young players on the defensive line. Adding a veteran presence will make everyone better.
Floyd played for San Francisco in 2024 and had 8.5 sacks in 17 starts, which would have easily led the 49ers last season. He had just 3.5 sacks in 15 starts last season, so he may be declining a bit. But at this point, the Niners cannot mess around when it comes to depth.
Guys like Keion White, Romello Height, and Sam Okuayinonu might be enough to get them through the season, but we saw the results last year, so there is no such thing as too much depth.
Floyd knows the Niners and he knows Morris. The veteran is the most obvious fit of anyone left in free agency, and given the fact Bosa’s status is somewhat uncertain now, San Francisco would be wise to add a veteran player who would improve the defense right away.
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