The San Francisco 49ers are set to open the 2026 season against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, and two of their top players are expected to suit up. But that doesn’t mean they’ll play their usual workload.
Tight end George Kittle and defensive end Nick Bosa are both trending toward Week 1 availability, and coach Kyle Shanahan addressed how the team plans to manage their snaps.
Shanahan Details Plan to Manage Kittle and Bosa’s Workload
Shanahan made clear the 49ers intend to be cautious with both players early on.
“We got to be smart with that,” Shanahan said. “They both look great and stuff, but we also definitely have to be smart with that.”
The caution makes sense given what both players are working back from. Kittle was activated off the physically-unable-to-perform list two weeks ago. He tore his right Achilles tendon during San Francisco’s wild-card playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles back in January, and underwent surgery just three days later. Bosa, meanwhile, took part in his first full 11-on-11 practice work on Sept. 2, the day the team flew to Australia. He’s still working back from a season-ending torn ACL suffered last September against the Arizona Cardinals.
Both players went through limited practice work this week as San Francisco finalized preparations for the opener. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris confirmed Bosa is set to play, even with the managed workload in mind.
“Nick Bosa, he’s going out there,” Morris said. “Whatever you want to say, he’s going. He will be there. We’re not hiding that.”
“We’ve got to be smart with that. They both look great but we’ve definitely got to be smart with that.”
Final Word for the 49ers
Getting both Kittle and Bosa on the field for Week 1 is a positive sign, given the severity of what each player is coming back from. Just how much they’re actually asked to do will be worth watching closely once the game kicks off.
For a 49ers team opening the season on the road in unfamiliar territory, having both stars available at all gives them a real boost. That’s true even in a limited capacity, heading into a key NFC West matchup.
49ers Reveal George Kittle, Nick Bosa Plan Before Rams Game