Nick Bosa's injury situation is still a concern for the 49ers

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nick Bosa's injury situation is still a concern for the 49ers

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Aug 26, 2026 10:49 AM ET

The San Francisco 49ers hope that star pass rusher Nick Bosa can return for his season-ending ACL injury in time for the season opener.

This isn't the first time he's suffered this injury. He's suffered three ACL tears, and he's also dealing with tendinitis stemming from an injury he suffered in high school.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan reportedly expects him back on the field at some point next week, which would give him a little over two weeks to get ready for the season opener in Australia.

However, as 49ers insider David Lombardi pointed out on 95.7 The Game, Bosa's extensive history of injuries and absences in practice can be a big issue.

The 49ers should be worried about Nick Bosa

“Like, you can’t just say with a straight face that a guy who’s torn his ACL three times does not give you worry of another knee injury or another complication,” Lombardi said. “It’s obviously a worry.

"It's obviously a worry."@LombardiHimself explains Nick Bosa's timetable to return for the 49ers | @WillardAndDibs pic.twitter.com/5UBGNXZo13
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) August 26, 2026

The 49ers have downplayed Bosa's absence. He's clearly familiar with the defensive schemes and may not need meaningless preseason reps.

However, he must get up to speed after such a long layoff, especially ahead of an overseas matchup with the Los Angeles Rams' behemoth of a team.

“But the fact that he hadn’t been at practice over the course of the last two weeks is not the root cause of that worry, right? And they’re hoping to bring him back here over the course of the next two weeks of practice so he’s ready for Week 1,” he added.

As great a player as Bosa is, availability is the best ability, and with his history of major injuries, it's hard to feel confident about him being on the field not only in Week 1 but for the whole season.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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