The San Francisco 49ers have been handed a double injury boost ahead of their 2026 season opening game against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne on Thursday night
George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers and Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers and NFC during the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium on February 02, 2025 in Orlando, Florida.
George Kittle and Nick Bosa look set to play in Week One for the 49ers against the Rams(Image: Getty Images)
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San Francisco 49ers duo George Kittle and Nick Bosa both look set to play on Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams.
While the other 30 NFL teams kick off their 2026 seasons back in the U.S., the 49ers and Rams have undertaken the arduous journey down under, travelling 16 hours to play their opener in Melbourne at the Malbourne Cricket Ground. The Rams are the favorites to win the Super Bowl this season after acquiring Myles Garrett and welcoming back Aaron Donald, while San Francisco's offseason has been dominated by a slew of wild headlines.
Earlier this offseason, head coach Kyle Shanahan suffered major injuries after being involved in a car crash, which left him with three broken ribs, a broken nose and hand, and a severe concussion. Then, just weeks later, 49ers owner Jed York was arrested in a prostitution sting in Cleveland.
San Francisco has also had to deal with injuries this offseason.
Having torn his ACL during Week 3 last season, Bosa, who missed time with tendinitis and soreness at the start of training camp, returned to practice before San Francisco left for Australia, while Kittle has been working back to full fitness after tearing his Achilles tendon back in January.
In an offseason of uncertainty, it now looks as though the 49ers will have two of their best players on the field on Thursday night, after it was confirmed that Bosa will play against the Rams, while Kittle looks good to go, according to San Francisco offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak.
49ers Pro Bowl defensive end Nick Bosa suffered a season-ending torn ACL during Sunday’s win over Arizona
Bosa missed the majority of the 2025 season after tearing his ACL in Week 3(Image: Getty)
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Speaking to reporters from Melbourne, 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris confirmed Bosa will play against the Rams.
"Oh, he's going out there," said Morris. "Whatever you want to say, he's going. We're not hiding that."
Morris added, "Nick's a pro at everything he does. The ultimate pro. When you talk about me anticipating him being out there, I definitely anticipate that because of who he is and what he's done and how he's gone about his process to get ready for this."
While Kubiak was not as definitive over Kittle's status, his comments suggest the All-Pro tight end will be good to go come Thursday.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle tore his Achilles earlier this year(Image: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
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"Super impressed with how he's looked considering the injury he had and how quickly he got back out on the field and just committed to his rehab," Kubiak told reporters. "
"And it's been pretty cool to see Kittle out there looking like himself to me. Looking fresh. How that affects him on game day and what the workload is will be determined.
"But he looks good to me. He's practicing full speed, he's getting a ton of reps, so I feel like we're in good shape."
He added, "We have got to see how he gets through the rest of the week, we've got two more practices, but Kittle looks good."