The San Francisco 49ers have gotten off to a strong start in 2026, but once again, injuries are beginning to mount for this team. The latest absence that this team will be dealing with is perhaps its most consequential, as it was revealed on Friday morning that star defensive end Nick Bosa would miss several weeks with a calf injury that he suffered in practice this week.
While Bosa has been fairly quiet in his first two games since returning from a torn ACL he suffered last season, he is still one of the most dominant pass rushers in the league when he’s at his best. Now, though, his status is uncertain, which led to head coach Kyle Shanahan issuing an update on his injury outlook moving forward.
Kyle Shanahan Confirms Nick Bosa Will Return in 2026
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Bosa has been consistently excellent when he’s been on the field for the Niners throughout his career. Bosa already has five Pro Bowl selections to his name, in addition to the 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Award. Simply put, there are few defenders in the league more impactful than Bosa.
Injuries are beginning to become a bigger and bigger issue for Bosa, though. He only played in three games last season before suffering a torn ACL, and now he has a calf issue that is going to hold him out for an extended period of time. Reports have indicated the Niners are considering placing Bosa on injured reserve, which would mean he’d miss at least the team’s next four games.
For now, though, Bosa isn’t on injured reserve, which would allow him to potentially return sooner than four games. There are still a lot of unknowns here, though, with some folks fearing that Bosa’s season could be over. Shanahan quickly shut down that notion, as he confirmed that while Bosa will probably miss a few weeks, he will be back at some point this year.
Coach Kyle Shanahan tells reporters that Nick Bosa, ruled out this week, will be back. After pulling his calf warming up for practice, he’s out ‘a few weeks,'” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared in a post on X.
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers Must Find a Way to Get by Without Nick Bosa
San Francisco was beat up along its defensive line before Bosa’s injury, so losing its best player certainly won’t make life easier for Shanahan. Sam Okuayinonu, C.J. West, Alfred Collins, and Mikail Kamara are all on injured reserve, and Mykel Williams and James Thompson Jr. both appear set to miss the team’s Week 3 action. One of the top depth options behind Bosa, Romello Height, is also questionable for this game.
If Height can play, he and Khalid Kareem will likely get the most work in Bosa’s absence, with Ogbo Okoronkwo also likely to factor into the mix. The good news for San Francisco is that it is playing an Arizona Cardinals team that isn’t exactly imposing, so while it isn’t exactly in good health heading into this game, it should still be able to find a way to prevail.
49ers’ HC Kyle Shanahan Sends Strong Message on Nick Bosa Injury