The San Francisco 49ers lost their first game of the NFL season on Sunday, falling 29-20 to the Atlanta Falcons.
Now, they’re set to enter a bye week that comes at the perfect time as they look to get several injured players back on the field.
One of them is star pass rusher Nick Bosa, who injured his calf during practice in Week 3 and has remained sidelined since. Although the 49ers hoped he’d return over the past few games, head coach Kyle Shanahan’s comments suggested that timeline was overly optimistic.
“I just think he was a bit too optimistic especially for Bosa cause he’s pretty accurate, he doesn’t say stuff like that unless it’s accurate and I just think it surprised him,” Shanahan said last week. “He worked out after he said that to you guys, and the next day he was sore, which surprised all of us, and that was not a great sign especially playing on turf, I just think he was too optimistic.”
49ers GM John Lynch Announces Update on Bosa
Appearing on KNBR on Tuesday, 49ers general manager John Lynch discussed the loss to Atlanta and provided an update on Bosa’s status, including whether the team expects him back when it returns from the bye in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“He has got to go through the week of practice. He is tracking well to be back,” Lynch said. “The goal is to have him back and keep him back because he is a difference maker when he’s on the field.”
#49ers John Lynch on Nick Bosa’s return:
“He has got to go through the week of practice. He is tracking well to be back. The goal is to have him back and keep him back because he is a difference maker when he’s on the field.”
(Via @knbrmurph & @MarkusBoucher) https://t.co/y7hYrlMKgT
— KNBR (@KNBR) October 27, 2026
Other 49ers Expected to Return
Shanahan revealed Monday that the 49ers have a good chance of getting seven players back in Week 9, including Bosa.
Other notable names he mentioned included wide receivers Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel and DeMarcus Robinson. All three would provide a major boost to a 49ers offense that had just four active wide receivers in Week 7 and committed four turnovers against the Falcons.
49ers GM Announces Nick Bosa Injury Update After Falcons Loss