Nick Bosa is dealing with another injury, pulling his calf at practice Thursday, and ESPN reported Friday morning he’ll miss “a few weeks.” A decision on placing Bosa on injured reserve hasn’t been made yet, but this is exactly the kind of news no team wants to hear, especially when they’re rolling early in the season.
Just When Things Were Looking So Good
Man, this is a tough break for the 49ers. They’ve kicked off their season looking absolutely dominant, sitting pretty at 2-0. They crushed the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in Australia, which is already wild, and then came home to put a 35-13 beatdown on the Miami Dolphins. Bosa has been in there, logging seven combined tackles through those first two games. But now, just as they’re gearing up for a huge Week 3 matchup against their NFC West-rival Arizona Cardinals, Bosa’s on the sidelines. That game is set for Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX, and you just know the Cardinals are licking their chops at the thought of facing a Bosa-less pass rush.
A Brutal Injury History For a Superstar
This isn’t just some random tweak; Bosa’s injury history is a real problem. It’s been a recurring theme throughout his NFL career, going all the way back to his college days. Remember his 2025 campaign? Ended in Week 3 with a torn ACL. The year before that, he missed three games because of a hip injury. He even tore an ACL two games into the 2020 season. And it’s not just the pros; he was limited to three games in his final collegiate season in 2018 for Ohio State due to a core muscle injury. Heck, he played through an ankle issue in the opening weeks of his 2019 rookie season!
The thing is, when he’s healthy, Bosa is an absolute game-wrecker. The 49ers drafted him No. 2 overall in 2019 for a reason, right? He’s a five-time Pro Bowler. In 2022, he led the entire sport with 18.5 sacks and snagged both All-Pro and NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. A year earlier, he put up 15.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in the regular season, plus another four sacks in the postseason. He was even the 2019 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, racking up nine sacks and 47 combined tackles in the regular season, and four more sacks in the postseason. The guy’s fifth in 49ers history with 64.5 career sacks and tied for seventh with 13 forced fumbles. Losing that kind of production for “a few weeks” is a massive blow, no matter how good your record is.
The 49ers now have to navigate this Week 3 clash with the Cardinals without their star defensive end. It’s a divisional game, early in the season, and it’s going to be a real test of their depth and mental toughness without Bosa wreaking havoc on the other side. This is going to be a must-watch game to see how they respond.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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