The 49ers have been a fixture in the news cycle in recent weeks due to their trade-up for the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, the speculation that comes standard with such a move and the potential fallout for incumbent QB Jimmy Garoppolo. However, the team’s fortunes in 2021 and beyond will be influenced not just by what they do with the No. 3 pick, but also by star defensive end Nick Bosa.
Bosa, of course, suffered a torn ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season, just one of a number of major injuries that torpedoed San Francisco’s chances to repeat as NFC champions. The fact that he was injured so early in the season at least indicated that he would be ready by the start of the 2021 campaign, but in addition to the ACL tear, Bosa suffered further cartilage damage in his left knee, which complicated the prognosis. And as the Niners’ own Ronald Blair learned, ACL surgeries are not always successful.
Luckily, it appears that Bosa, the 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year, is on the right track. As Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area writes, all signs are pointing toward a full recovery, and Maiocco’s piece includes several videos showing Bosa sprinting in a straight line while pulling a weighted sled and doing other drills.
One look at the videos suggests, as the 49ers hoped, that Bosa will indeed be ready to roll come Week 1, if not much sooner. The team views itself as a title contender this year, and a healthy Bosa will go a long way toward achieving that goal.
The Ohio State product tallied nine sacks in 2019, the second-highest total on the team. He added four sacks in three playoff contests at the end of the season, including the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. If San Francisco had held on to win that game, Bosa might have been named Super Bowl MVP.
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