Nov 17, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) waits on the sidelines against the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
49ers get Nick Bosa update that may concern fans before Melbourne season opener 1
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday that Nick Bosa has tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee and will be handled on a week-to-week basis, which accounts for the practice absences that date back to Aug. 5.
Bosa tore the ACL in that knee during a Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals last September and underwent season-ending surgery. It was the second ACL tear of his career, following the one in his left knee that cost him most of the 2020 season.
He avoided the active/PUP list when camp opened in late July and was a full participant early on, then came out of an individual drill sore and has not practiced since.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa answers questions from reporters following the first day of training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn ImagesSan Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa answers questions from reporters following the first day of training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa answers questions from reporters following the first day of training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
Shanahan treated the condition as an ordinary part of the recovery rather than a complication, saying the team’s medical staff put the rate among its own returning players at close to 90 percent.
“Just soreness, tendinitis,” Shanahan said. “It’s a pretty normal thing with ACLs. Just talking to our guys, they say it happens to about 90% of the guys we’ve had. It’s a normal thing, so we’ve got to be smart here, week-to-week. No concerns about him, it being any more than that.”
#49ers DE Nick Bosa, who is returning from a torn ACL, is now considered week-to-week due to tendinitis in his surgically repaired knee, per HC Kyle Shanahan. pic.twitter.com/ktLwJ2ILOz
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 11, 2026
The 49ers’ calendar leaves less room than a week-to-week label suggests
Shanahan did not offer a return date or any commitment on preseason snaps. San Francisco hosts Tennessee on Thursday at Levi’s Stadium in the preseason opener, two days after the teams held a joint practice, and the exhibition slate continues against the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.
The regular season then arrives earlier for this roster than for most of the league. The 49ers open on Thursday, Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia, the front end of a schedule that projects to a league-record 38,100 miles of travel.
A player being brought along in weekly increments in the middle of August has fewer ordinary practice days in front of him than the calendar implies.
Syndication: Arizona RepublicSyndication: Arizona Republic
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan talks to the media during the NFL League Meetings on March 30, 2026, at Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix.
Last season established what the defense looks like without him. San Francisco finished last in the NFL with 20 sacks, ranked 31st in pressures and 29th in pass rush win rate, and the edge group counting on a healthier 2026 also includes Mykel Williams, who is coming back from a torn ACL of his own. Bosa had two sacks, a forced fumble and 15 tackles in the two games he finished before going down.
Tendinitis in August leaves San Francisco managing its most important pass rusher one week at a time, with 30 days between Tuesday’s update and kickoff in Melbourne.
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