Nick Bosa’s torn ACL limited him to just two games in 2020. He’s confident the 14 contests he missed last year will be the only action he’s forced to skip due to the injury.
Bosa spoke with reporters following Thursday’s practice, and while he’s yet to participate in team drills, he’s feeling good about his early reps in positional work.
“I knew when it was an early injury, for the most part, I’d be ready to go Week 1,” Bosa said via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. “Right now everything is trending toward that.”
This is perhaps the best news the 49ers could get out of training camp. Not only was Bosa healthy to start camp, but he appears ready to suit up Week 1 in Detroit when the games count.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday sounded confident Bosa would be healthy to start the season as well.
“Nick takes care of himself and better than anyone I’ve ever been around. I mean the guy has got a one track mind and it’s awesome,” Shanahan said. “So you knew he’d come in great. And now it’s just about, you’ve got to know how much time it’s been since the injury. Him moving and looking like the player is, isn’t an issue. It’s just about building it up the right way. So when he gets out there with 22 people, he can react and feel safe if he gets caught in an awkward position. So we’ll take our time with them and be smart.”
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him sit out the entire preseason, but that’s an easy exchange for San Francisco to make if it means their star defensive end is on the field against the Lions.