The 49ers head into Sunday’s NFC West matchup with the Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium with their offense in much better shape than their defense. San Francisco is 2-0, kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX, and the official Week 3 injury report leaves one major question mark at receiver while the defensive line has been hit hard.
Nick Bosa is out, and that’s the headline that changes the feel of this game. He did not practice all week and is listed with knee and calf issues after pulling the calf during his own warmup on the side before Thursday’s walk-through.
Kyle Shanahan said Friday he was “guessing around a few weeks,” and added that he does not expect a long-term setback. The 49ers also left Bosa off injured reserve Saturday, which suggests they still believe a return can happen before the four-game IR clock would kick in.
Shanahan didn’t soften the blow. “Losing Bosa was rough yesterday,” he said, pointing out that six of the 10 defensive linemen who made the initial 53 have already gone down in two weeks. That is a lot of damage, even for a team used to weathering attrition.
The losses keep stacking on the edge and inside. Romello Height is out with a hand issue after surgery, and James Thompson Jr. is out with a high-ankle sprain from the Miami game.
Both missed practice all week. On Saturday, the 49ers tried to patch the group by promoting Viliami Fehoko Jr. from the practice squad and elevating Kevin Givens and Sebastian Valdez, according to the team’s roster-move note.
Against Jacoby Brissett, the pass-rush burden now falls on Keion White, Khalid Kareem and whoever can win interior snaps.
That’s the football cost of Bosa’s absence: Arizona should have a cleaner pocket than it did in the first two weeks. Fantasy players should view Cardinals skill guys a little differently because of it, while the 49ers defense/special teams takes a hit.
At receiver, Mike Evans is the only true game-day question. He sat out Wednesday and Thursday because of the hip injury that knocked him out against Miami, then returned on a limited basis Friday.
The team tagged him questionable and left it at that. He has a path to suit up, but the missed practices and limited Friday make his snap share uncertain.
Demarcus Robinson is not around to help if Evans can’t go. He missed the week with a high-ankle sprain and was placed on injured reserve Saturday.
With Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk and De’Zhaun Stribling already on IR, the healthy receiver options behind Evans are Deebo Samuel Sr., Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing and KhaDarel Hodge. If Evans is inactive or limited, those secondary targets become fragile fantasy plays rather than easy upgrades.
Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams and Dre Greenlaw all came through the week without game-status designations. McCaffrey rested Wednesday, then practiced fully Thursday and Friday.
Williams followed the same path, and Greenlaw did too after a rest/Achilles day. None of them is carrying questionable, doubtful or out tags.
For McCaffrey, that’s the cleanest possible sign he’s ready. He remains a must-start against Arizona, and the Wednesday absence was just maintenance.
Williams being full-go at left tackle matters too, especially with Robinson gone for at least four weeks. It gives Brock Purdy more stability up front.
It also leaves Kaelon Black with a Week 3 path as the complementary runner, even with McCaffrey active.
Arizona’s Friday report is lighter but not clean. Safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson is out with a back injury.
Roy Lopez, dealing with a groin issue, and Max Melton, with a toe injury, are questionable. Garrett Williams practiced fully Friday and carries no designation in his first action of the season.
So the picture is pretty clear: San Francisco’s offensive core is healthy, but the front seven is not. Evans is the name to watch on the inactive list. Until that sheet drops, McCaffrey should be treated like an every-down back, and anyone waiting on Evans needs a backup plan ready.
In Other News...
Cardinals May Be Getting Key Help Back At Perfect Time
The Cardinals did not make any practice squad elevations before their Week 3 meeting with the 49ers, a small but telling sign that the team may be expecting some of its injured pieces to be available. Roy Lopez and Max Melton were both listed as questionable, but both took part in recent practices, which gave Arizona some reason for optimism as it tried to get healthier for a tough divisional test.
Garrett Williams was also cleared to return for his 2026 debut, giving Arizona another potential boost as it prepares for San Franciscos defense. The Cardinals focus is not just on their own injury picture, either, with the head coach also weighing in on the 49ers linebacker tandem of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, a reminder of the challenge waiting if Arizona does get some key help back in time. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Face A Quarterback Decision That Could Reshape Their Depth Chart
The quarterback market has a way of turning a backup into a storyline, and Gardner Minshew is suddenly part of one again. With Jaxson Dart injured, the Giants are weighing their options under center, and ESPNs Adam Schefter mentioned the Cardinals as a possible trade partner as New York looks around for help. For Arizona, that puts a familiar veteran squarely into the middle of a conversation that goes beyond one teams depth chart and into how much value a steady reserve can carry this time of year.
Minshews ties to the Giants offensive coordinator and head coach only add another layer to the discussion, but nothing is settled yet. No trade has been confirmed, and both sides are expected to keep evaluating their situations before any move is made. For the Cardinals, the question is whether this remains just outside noise or becomes the kind of decision that reshapes the quarterback room in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals DB Draws Attention To An NFL Rule Fans Hate
A week after a game that already had plenty of on-field details to sort through, Cardinals cornerback KeiTrel Clark found himself dealing with something a lot less familiar than coverage busts or missed tackles. The NFL fined him $6,651 for wearing eye black with an unauthorized personal message, another reminder of how tightly the league polices uniform details in the name of professionalism and sponsorship protection.
Clark pushed back publicly on social media, which gave the issue a little extra life with fans who have long bristled at the leagues rulebook. But the policy is plain enough: no writing on eye black, no matter what the message says, and the fine serves as another example of how even small personal touches can run straight into the NFLs uniform code. [Read more 🡒]