Nick Bosa didn’t get any training camp or preseason in while he held out amid negotiations on a long-term contract extension. He signed his deal in time to have a limited participation in Thursday’s practice, and then a full participation in Friday’s walk-through.
There were plenty of questions leading into Sunday’s season opener about how much Bosa would play and how effective he could actually be without having played football all offseason.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year wound up playing 35 defensive snaps, and the answer to whether he’d be ready to produce in an NFL game was a resounding, ‘yes.’
Bosa according to Pro Football Focus was San Francisco’s highest-graded defender thanks in part to his four pressures, one QB hit and three hurries in 28 pass rushing snaps. He also posted a run stop and didn’t miss a tackle.
It was clear, especially early, that Bosa was still getting his game legs under him, but the fact he went on to play as well as he did is a great sign for San Francisco’s defensive front.
Here’s a quick rundown of the 49ers’ highest-graded defenders from Sunday: