Star defensive end Nick Bosa is sidelined with a calf injury, expected to miss weeks, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg for the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive line. This unit is getting absolutely wrecked by injuries right now, with Bosa joining a long list of players on the mend. Head coach Kyle Shanahan expects Bosa to be out for a few weeks, though they are not putting him on Injured Reserve. Good news, right? Not really, because Bosa’s calf makes him the *sixth* defensive lineman to get banged up in the past few weeks! It’s a full-blown crisis in Santa Clara.
The Injury Bug Bites Hard
The 49ers’ defensive line is looking like a MASH unit. Not only is Bosa out for multiple weeks, but C.J. West is also a multi-week injury. On top of those two, they’re currently missing Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, Sam Okuayinonu, and James Thompson Jr. And just for good measure, Romello Height has a broken hand and is out for Sunday. Remember how this team’s 2025 unit ranked dead last in the NFL in sacks? Well, they were hoping to fix that, but now they’re working without a good portion of their rotation, and new bodies are coming in the building left and right. This defensive line is a total mess right now, and you gotta wonder how they’re going to generate any kind of pressure.
Rookie Gracen Halton Thrown Into the Fire
With all this chaos, someone’s gotta step up. Osa Odighizuwa is expected to lead what’s left of this defensive line, and he’s been doing some work as a pass-rusher, leading the team with eight pressures through two weeks and a 15.8 percent pass rush win rate, according to PFF. But the real story is rookie fourth-round defensive tackle Gracen Halton. He was a “value” pick, meant to be a rotational interior guy, but injuries have totally changed his role. Halton played 32 snaps against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2, which was second among defensive tackles. He also saw 31 snaps against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. That snap count is only going up, especially without West, who played 23 and 26 snaps in the first two weeks, and Bosa. Coach Raheem Morris has seen some good things from his rookie. “He played well,” Morris said of Halton’s Dolphins performance. “He had some good plays, had some rookie plays. You know, there’s always going to be some ups, always going to be some downs, but really excited to see. I think he got a tackle for loss that I can remember, had a nice celebration on. Did some really good things, gave us great energy, great juice inside there. Plays bigger than his actual stature. Did a lot of really cool things. Really excited about where he’s going to go and what he can do for the Niners.” Halton even had two pressures in Week 2, bringing his total to three in two weeks, tied for third on the team.
This Sunday, the 49ers have to figure out how to put a defensive line on the field that can actually stop anyone. With so many key guys out, it’s a huge test for these new and inexperienced players to step up and prove their worth.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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