The San Francisco 49ers may be 2-0, but the unrelenting injury bug that seems set to constantly plague this team is beginning to make life difficult for them. The Niners are banged up heading into Week 3, with superstar defensive end Nick Bosa being the latest guy to go down after he suffered a calf injury at practice earlier this week.
Bosa’s injury is just the latest one suffered along the defensive line for San Fran, and it’s safe to say depth at this spot is at a premium currently. With that in mind, the 49ers recently brought in a group of four veteran defensive linemen for workouts that was highlighted by four-time Pro Bowler Matt Judon.
49ers Work Out Matt Judon Among Several Defensive Linemen
Bosa isn’t the first defensive end to go down with injury this year, but his absence could cause this defense some real issues moving forward. In addition to him, Mykel Williams and Romello Height are both out for Week 3, while Sam Okuayinonu and Mikail Kamara are both on injured reserve.
That has left Keion White and Khalid Kareem as the top two healthy defensive ends, with Ogbo Okoronkwo and Viliami Fehoko Jr. serving as the top depth options. It’d be one thing if this group didn’t have much depth, but still had Bosa on the field. Now, they have virtually no depth, and no Bosa.
The 49ers are going to have to make it through Week 3 shorthanded at this spot, but it seems like they will add someone at this position in the near future. In the wake of Bosa’s absence, San Fran brought in four defensive linemen to come and work out for the team, with Judon being the highlight of the group.
Following the injury to Nick Bosa this week, the 49ers worked out edge Matt Judon, LB Jamin Davis, DE Julian Okwara and DE Dawuane Smoot,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared in a post on X.
49ers Appear Set to Add Depth at Defensive End
The common theme among these guys is that they all have quite a bit of experience in the NFL. Judon, however, is the most accomplished player of the bunch. During his prime, he was one of the top sack artists around, as he racked up 28 total sacks in his first two seasons with the New England Patriots in 2021 and 2022.
Judon isn’t the same player he once was, but head coach Kyle Shanahan has a track record of reviving careers, so who’s to say he couldn’t help the former Pats star get back on track? For now, San Fran is fully focused on beating the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, but once it gets through this game, it will likely bring in some more help along the defensive line, with Judon appearing to be one of the team’s top targets.
49ers Bring in 4-Time Pro Bowler for Workout After Nick Bosa Injury News