The 49ers have stayed perfect without Nick Bosa, and that alone should tell San Francisco to pump the brakes. General manager John Lynch said Friday there’s a chance the edge rusher could play in Week 6 against the Washington Commanders, but the wiser move is to hold him out until after the bye week.
Lynch didn’t sound eager to rush him back, making it clear the team wants to get him back for good and keep the risk of re-injury as low as possible. That matters more than squeezing Bosa into two October games that don’t offer much reward if he isn’t fully healthy.
San Francisco still has Washington at home on Monday night and then a road game in Atlanta against the Falcons. Neither one is a soft landing spot. The Commanders already beat the Seattle Seahawks this season, and Atlanta has looked much better since quarterback Michael Penix returned.
But the bigger point is that the 49ers have already shown they can function without their defensive cornerstone. Against Seattle last week, they got to Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold five times. That’s the kind of performance that gives the front office room to be patient.
It also opens the door for other defensive linemen to keep developing. Jaden Dugger should get more chances to rush the passer.
Gracen Halton can build on the huge game he had against Seattle. Keion White can keep adding to his team-leading sack total.
That kind of depth is going to matter if San Francisco wants to make a real playoff push. The 49ers can’t rely on Bosa to be the only source of pressure when it counts. They need the rest of that line ready to contribute, and the only way to get there is with more reps.
Bosa’s value is obvious when the games get bigger. San Francisco needs him available for the playoffs, not just for a couple of regular-season weeks in October. If he came back too soon and got hurt again, that would be a devastating blow for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
This is an older, injury-prone roster, and that makes the choice even clearer. The 49ers need to be careful with their stars early in the season. Bosa should wait until after the bye week and make his return in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
In Other News...
Kyle Juszczyk Just Reignited A Ugly 49ers Controversy
A fresh layer was added to an old 49ers grievance after Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson got tossed in Week 6 for spitting on Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. The incident immediately brought back memories in San Francisco, where Kyle Juszczyk said Gardner-Johnson had done the same to him in a game last season, a claim that had already helped fuel some hard feelings around the league.
Gardner-Johnson pushed back on the accusation, but the latest ejection only gave the story new life for 49ers fans who remember how it played out the first time. With one ugly moment already on the record, the lingering question is less about the punishment Gardner-Johnson just received and more about what comes next for a controversy that clearly was never fully put to rest. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Face A Costly Linebacker Test At The Worst Time
A linebacker room already under pressure now has one more wrinkle to sort out, and it comes at a bad time for San Francisco. Dre Greenlaw will miss the next game after his Week 5 ejection for headbutting an opponent, leaving the 49ers to adjust defensively as they prepare for Washington.
The immediate answer appears to be rookie Jaden Dugger, who is expected to step into Greenlaws role for the matchup with the Commanders. For a defense that leans on Greenlaws presence and experience, the timing makes this more than a simple depth-chart shuffle, especially with the appeal process having already run its course. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Could Face One Sneaky Problem On Monday Night
The 49ers are set to host the Washington Commanders on Monday night at Levis Stadium, and the setup looks more like a late-fall Bay Area evening than a weather worry. Temperatures are expected to dip into the upper 50s by kickoff, with stadium gates opening in the afternoon for fans making their way in for prime-time football.
Still, there is one small element that could matter once the game gets going. The forecast calls for minimal rain, but the wind could become the more noticeable factor as the night wears on, and that can have an impact on both the passing game and any decisions that reach into field-goal range. [Read more 🡒]