The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the NFL’s best teams through the first half of the season — and they’ve done it without their best defensive player.
The 49ers came out of their bye week sitting atop the NFC West, even though former Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa hasn’t played since Week 2 because of a calf injury.
However, that could be about to change.
Bosa returned to practice as a limited participant on Wednesday, and the star defensive end didn’t leave much doubt about his status for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Levi’s Stadium.
“The bye week was a good extra week for me, and I’m ready to go,” Bosa said.
Nick Bosa Explains How He Hurt His Calf
Bosa has missed the last five games after a freak injury that happened during warm-ups. And it took longer than anyone expected for him to get ready to return.
The 49ers pass-rusher said it was “pretty darn likely” he’d play in Week 6 against the Washington Commanders, but he was ruled out. He then missed practice the following week and sat out the Week 7 game against the Atlanta Falcons too.
Bosa revealed he may have been overcompensating for a separate issue earlier in the season.
“I was kind of trying to push it back with the tendinitis, so I may have been favoring it a little bit,” Bosa explained. “And I was just doing my normal warm-up drills one day, and I tweaked it.
“Calves are a pretty long process. I’ve never had one, so it took a little longer than I had expected, but don’t even think about it anymore … It was just between the soleus and the gastrocnemius there, the little junction point, and it’s a pretty common strain.”
49ers Are Optimistic About Bosa’s Return
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was encouraged by what he’s seen from the Pro Bowl DE.
“He has made progress,” Shanahan said. “That’s why he’s going to be limited today.”
General manager John Lynch also said last week on KNBR that Bosa was “tracking well” to return against the Raiders, calling him “a difference-maker when he’s on the field.”
Bosa had seven tackles, two tackles for loss, and a QB hit in his two games before the injury. It’s been a frustrating stretch for the 49ers star, who was limited to just three games last season after tearing his ACL in Week 3.
Still, Bosa credited his teammates for picking up the slack.
“Obviously, the team had my back and held it down, and getting some guys back this week,” Bosa said. “It’s a long year and I kind of just reminded myself that I need to be ready for the long haul, and I think I’ll be just that.”
Nick Bosa Thrilled About DeForest Buckner Reunion
Bosa won’t just be returning to the lineup. He’ll also be lining up next to a familiar face.
The 49ers reacquired defensive tackle DeForest Buckner in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts last week. The move reunited Bosa with his teammate from his 2019 rookie season.
Bosa even admitted he pitched the idea to his head coach well before the deal happened.
“I mean, just very happy,” Bosa said. “I kind of mentioned it to [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] a couple months ago, jokingly, but the fact that it actually happened, it’s a full-circle moment, for sure.”
“It’s like he never left when he came in here, so it’s good to have him,” Bosa added.
Bosa also believes Buckner’s experience will rub off on San Francisco’s younger defensive tackles.
“It’s a perfect fit, really,” Bosa said.
49ers’ Nick Bosa Breaks Silence on Injury Status Ahead of Raiders Game