Nick Bosa was back where the 49ers wanted him Wednesday: on the practice field, moving through defensive line warmups and looking like a player still on pace for next Thursday night’s opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne.
That return came 12 hours before the team’s overnight flight to Australia and nearly a month after the surgically repaired knee flared up with pain, a setback that had raised questions about whether Bosa would be ready in time. He wore a support sleeve on his right knee during the session, and the sight of him working with the group after two days of side work pointed toward a clean runway into Week 1.
Bosa, the NFL’s 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, had spent the previous two days on the side as part of a plan he put together with the 49ers’ medical staff, according to general manager John Lynch.
Tight end George Kittle also appears set to be available for the matchup with the 49ers’ longtime NFC West rivals. He has not missed a practice since his Achilles repair was cleared to come off the Physically Unable to Perform list Aug. 23.
The 49ers also got several other players back into drills Wednesday. Wide receiver Mike Evans, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and cornerback Ephesians Prysock all returned after dealing with injuries.
Meanwhile, cornerback Renardo Green, wide receiver/returner Jacob Cowing, and defensive linemen Romello Height and Grayson Halton were limited to conditioning on a side field. Green is dealing with a hamstring issue, Cowing with a hip injury, and Height and Halton with ankle injuries.
In Other News...
49ers Suddenly Have A Pass Rush Debate They Cant Ignore
The 49ers are dealing with an edge-rush conversation that has gone from theoretical to unavoidable, thanks to the strain injuries and roster attrition have put on their outside pressure. With the pass rush depth thinner than usual, the idea of adding a proven difference-maker has started to sound less like a luxury and more like a response to the reality around them.
Brian Baldinger pushed that thinking into the spotlight by urging San Francisco to at least explore a trade for Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby, arguing the 49ers need to keep pace with the rest of the NFC West. Crosbys reputation as a disruptive force has made him the obvious name in the discussion, while other analysts have already begun weighing the kind of package it might take and whether the price, along with the risk, would be too steep for a team trying to stay in the race. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Edge Depth Gets Tested At The Worst Possible Time
The 49ers are making an early-season adjustment on the edge, bringing in Khalid Kareem from the Atlanta Falcons practice squad as they head to Melbourne. Kareem is expected to join the team there and could be available for Week 1, giving San Francisco another body at a spot that has already been hit by injury.
Sam Okuayinonus setback has left the 49ers looking for help sooner than planned, and the roster picture still is not fully settled because the team has not announced a corresponding move. For a defense that leans on depth and rotation up front, this kind of swap can matter quickly, especially with the season opener approaching on the other side of the globe. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Suddenly Have Real Trade Deadline Pressure To Go For It
The 49ers are carrying more than just urgency into the stretch run. With the most projected salary cap space for 2026 at $45.8 million, San Francisco has the kind of flexibility that can keep a contender aggressive now and nimble later. General manager John Lynch has already signaled that the club is open to trades if it believes the roster is in position to win and the move makes sense, which is exactly the kind of language that tends to get other teams listening as the deadline approaches.
Pass-rush help is the area most often mentioned around the Niners, and that alone tells you where the pressure is building. Jared Verse has been one of the names floated as a possible target, and his contract status for the next two years only adds to the intrigue for a team that wants more disruption up front without sacrificing long-term control. The question for San Francisco is no longer whether it can afford to chase a difference-maker, but whether this is the moment to spend the capital to do it. [Read more 🡒]