Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams are not getting any breaks out of the gate.
The Rams will be in Australia to face the San Francisco 49ers for their regular-season opener. The latter is trending toward having not only tight end George Kittle available, but also $170 million star pass rusher Nick Bosa.
“Bosa’s ready to roll [bear emoji],” NBC Sports’ 49ers handle posted on X on September 7, along with a clip of the five-time Pro Bowler and one-time First Team All-Pro.
Bosa is 7-3 against the Rams with 5.0 sacks in his career so far.
“Nick Bosa, he’s going out there,” 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris told reporters in Melbourne on September 7, per the Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph. “Whatever you want to say, he’s going. He will be there. We’re not hiding that.”
Morris’ comments came amid a report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano that Bosa’s status remained uncertain amid his plans to play in the opener.
“He was cleared for camp, but he felt something in the knee early in camp. So, he backed off,” Graziano said on “SportsCenter” on September 7. “Didn’t practice for a while. He’s been in and out of practice the last few days. Didn’t practice today, but he plans to play on Thursday night, Friday in Australia, and he doesn’t think it’s going to be any kind of issue.”
Graziano pointed back to Bosa’s training camp trend, saying, “If Nick Bosa feels like there’s something in that knee that’s not right, he’ll back off and probably wait a week.”
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The Rams are preseason Super Bowl favorites, but Bosa and the 49ers are positioned to give them a run for their money in Week 1, especially with the latest on Kittle.
It certainly sounds as though Kittle is healthy.
“He’s looked good. Super impressed with how he’s looked considering the injury he had, and how quickly he got back out on the field and just committed to his rehab. And it’s been pretty cool to see Kittle out there, looking like himself to me, and looking fresh,” 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak told reporters during his media availability on September 7.
“How that affects him on game day and how much–what the workload is, that’ll be determined. But he looks good to me. He’s practicing full-speed. He’s getting a ton of reps. So, feel like we’re in good shape.”
As for his Week 1 status, “We got to see how he gets through the rest of the week. We got two more practices, but Kittle looks good.”
Graziano also expects Mike Evans to play, citing the receiver’s remarks.
Rams Still Navigating Injury Uncertainty
The Rams are not dealing with many injuries. The ones they have are to players of great significance, though, as they prepare to face the 49ers.
Graziano corroborated previous reports that wide receiver Puka Nacua (psoas) and edge rusher Myles Garrett (knee) are both expected to play. Meanwhile, Aaron Donald (retirement/ramp-up) remains the most uncertain star who could be on the field.
This game, like many before it, could come down to which team is healthier at the end.
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