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Nick Bosa looks like he will be back in a big way for the San Francisco 49ers this season based on a new video posted to Instagram.
The elite edge rusher only played five quarters of football in 2020 before an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear against the New York Jets sidelined him for the rest of his second NFL season.
While ACL tears are particularly devastating injuries for big men who battle in the trenches, Bosa appears capable — and then some — of returning to the gridiron with a vengeance in 2021.
The Instagram video, which Bosa posted to his own account, depicts the defensive end running wind sprints outdoors with a significant amount of added resistance in tow in the form of a weight sled.
The imagery is fitting, as the edge rusher’s teammates say Bosa is a workhorse the team could ride all the way back to the Super Bowl should he prove healthy through the new 17-game NFL schedule.
49ers Teammates Talk Up Bosa’s Return
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Getty Images49ers defensive end Nick Bosa tore his ACL in the second game of the 2020 NFL season against the New York Jets.
Reporter Cam Inman, of the Bay Area News Group, said the San Francisco 49ers locker room is hyped surrounding the progress Bosa has made since he sustained the ACL tear approximately seven months ago.
“Bosa’s coming back, I’m so excited,” defensive tackle D.J. Jones told reporters.
Cornerback Jason Verrett also said that the return of Bosa bodes well for the defense’s prospects in arguably the best division in football, with opponents under center including Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks), Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals), and now Matt Stafford (Los Angeles Rams).
“With everybody healthy, I feel like we can be a dominant defense again,” Verrett said.
Much of the discussion around the 49ers of late has focused on which standout quarterback the team will select with the third pick in this year’s NFL Draft, scheduled for Thursday, April 29.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter has said the 49ers will pick Alabama’s Mac Jones, while former (and possibly future) San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman has indicated Justin Fields, of Ohio State, is the likely choice.
However, to listen to the men in the locker room tell it, Bosa’s return is vastly more important to the team’s chances at a title run this season than is the decision on a future replacement for current QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
Details of Bosa’s Return to 49ers Still Unclear
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Getty Images49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is looking solid after suffering an ACL tear during Week 2 of the 2020 NFL season, but questions remain around his return to training camp April 19, 2021.
The 49ers will officially open offseason activities April 19, though Inman reported it remains unclear how much Bosa will participate.
The Mayo Clinic says the common length of time an athlete who suffers an ACL tear has to wait before returning to the field of play is between eight and 12 months. Bosa still has one month to go before he hits the front end of that timeframe.
San Francisco is not likely to rush its star edge rusher back into football activities, especially as it also remains unclear how much on-the-field practice will take place under NFL and California COVID-19 protocols.
Whenever he comes back to practice, Thursday’s Instagram video makes one point crystal clear: Bosa will be back to regularly blowing up drives and terrorizing opposing quarterbacks come September.
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