The San Francisco 49ers may very well face their toughest test of the early 2026 season on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. They'll be facing a team that made it to the NFC Championship game last season and is 2-1 on the year, but quarterback Bo Nix hasn't played great thus far.
He hasn't been awful by any stretch, and it is still early, but he has completed just over 60 percent of his passes for 605 yards with four touchdown passes and three interceptions.
Nix has struggled when opposing teams blitz him as he's completed just 44 percent of his passes when blitzed for 147 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
The only problem is that San Francisco may not be able to take full advantage of this weakness.
Lack of 49ers pass rush may fail to take advantage of Bo Nix's weakness
Injuries have already come for the Niners again this season, and the defensive line has been decimated. Nick Bosa was out last week and is unlikely to play this week. Other injuries include Alfred Collins, who was lost for the season, Sam Okuayinonu put on IR with a broken foot, and Romello Height, who broke his hand.
Now, San Francisco is having to turn to other options and has had to elevate veterans from the practice squad like Ogbo Okoronkwo and recently-signed Matthew Judon.
Can this ragtag bunch actually put pressure on Nix and make him struggle?
The 49ers at least have six sacks on the season so far, which puts them roughly in the middle of the pack. That's an improvement over last season when the Niners finished dead last in sacks with 20.
Still, having so many guys hurt is going to make it harder for defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to bring pressure. He has tried to get creative and has even tried blitzing star linebacker Fred Warner, something he is not typically known for doing.
Morris is going to have to continue to mix things up, perhaps even sending a defensive back like Upton Stout or Marques Sigle after Nix to try to put pressure on him, either to get a sack or force a hurried, inaccurate throw that results in an incompletion or interception.
It will not be an easy task, but the Niners have to do all they can to put some heat on Nix. He's agile enough, that even if they drive him out of the pocket, he can scramble and make plays But if they can pressure him consistently, that is likely going to lead to mistakes, given how much he's struggled against the blitz.
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