Tag: Nick Bosa

How 49ers can help D-line issues without free agency or NFL draft

A Nick Bosa bounce-back year would be really great for the 49ers in 2025.

There are obvious needs for the San Francisco 49ers on the defensive line that will need to be addressed via free agency and the NFL draft this offseason.

However, that’s not the only way they can see an improvement from that group.

Star defensive end Nick Bosa, who was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 after leading the NFL with 18.5 sacks, hasn’t quite been himself the last couple of years.

Bosa tore his ACL in 2020, but bounced back in 2021 with 15.5 sacks before earning the DPOY nod the following year.

The offseason after his DPOY campaign was also the offseason he was due for a contract extension. Negotiations on his deal lingered until the week the regular season started, and there was a clear impact on the star DE as he worked his way back into football shape. Eventually he started looking more like himself, but he had a hard time turning his pressures into sacks.

According to Pro Football Focus, Bosa actually posted more total pressures in 2023 than he did in 2022, but his number of sacks and quarterback hits both dipped significantly. So did his pass rush win rate, which went from 21.0 in 2022, to 22.3 in 2023, down to 20.0 in 2024.

In all, Bosa has just 19.5 sacks over the last two seasons — a number that will have to improve if the 49ers defense is going to return to peak form.

Injuries certainly played a role in Bosa’s lack of production in 2024 as he missed three games and dealt with hip/oblique injuries through most of the second half of the season. The lack of quality talent around him might’ve also had an impact as offenses were able to focus more on ensuring Bosa’s path to their quarterback was more difficult.

Next season has to be a bounce-back year from Bosa where he starts turning his pass rush wins into sacks the way he did in 2021 and 2022. If he does that, it will be a significant lift for a pass rush that had a difficult time affecting quarterbacks last season.

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49ers usual suspects named to 2025 Pro Bowl roster

4 49ers are headed to the Pro Bowl.

The San Francisco 49ers had a down year, but that won’t stop them from being well-represented at the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on Feb. 2 in Orlando.

Four 49ers were selected to participate in the games, with four others landing as alternates. The players going to the games are all regular participants when the 49ers aren’t in the Super Bowl.

Defensive end Nick Bosa is going for the fifth time in his career and for the fourth year in a row. Bosa this season battled through an injury and still posted 9.0 sacks in 13 games. He also ranked fifth in total pressures according to Pro Football Focus.

Tight end George Kittle got his sixth Pro Bowl nod and his fourth consecutive. Kittle had his fourth 1,000-yard season, putting him in a rare group with Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten. That group of five players are the only TEs in NFL history with four-plus 1,000-yard seasons.

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk is a Pro Bowler for the ninth-straight time, and linebacker Fred Warner got his third consecutive, fourth overall, nod.

Juszczyk remains the most versatile, dominant fullback in the NFL even as more teams start to deploy fullbacks. Warner played through a broken bone in his ankle for most of the year and still maintained his status as one of the best off-ball linebackers in the sport. It wasn’t his best year, but he’s good enough that he’ll earn the benefit of the doubt in a rough season.

The alternates for San Francisco include defensive end Leonard Floyd, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, quarterback Brock Purdy and left tackle Trent Williams.

It’s unlikely we’ll see Williams play even if he does get selected since he’s battling an ankle injury that landed him on IR. Purdy is also dealing with an elbow injury he suffered in Week 17 that will likely keep him out for the season finale in Arizona.

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11 players out of 49ers 1st Week 18 practice

11 players out … woof.

The San Francisco 49ers are finishing the season the same way they started it.

In a season marred by injuries since training camp, the 49ers began their Week 18 preparations with 11 players absent from Wednesday’s practice. It’s a culmination of an issue that’s been bubbling all year and catalyzed a disappointing campaign that saw the club lose double-digit games for the fourth time in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure.

The 49ers’ injury woes were so bad in camp that they had to cancel joint practices with the New Orleans Saints because they didn’t have enough bodies to complete joint practices.

Now, with nothing on the line in their season finale, we could see the 49ers be extra cautious with some of their veteran players who figure to be key pieces of the roster next season.

Of the 11 players absent Wednesday, seven are starters who could be impact players in 2025. There were two limited participants who should also be impact players next year.

Here’s what Wednesday’s practice report looked like:

Did not participate

DE Robert Beal (ankle)
DE Nick Bosa (knee)
OL Spencer Burford (calf)
LB Demetrius Flanngan-Fowles (calf)
DE Leonard Floyd (shoulder)
TE George Kittle (ankle, hamstring)
CB Deommodore Lenoir (shoulder)
OT Colton McKivitz (knee)
QB Brock Purdy (elbow)
WR Deebo Samuel (ribs, wrist)
CB Isaac Yiadom (pelvis)

Limited participation

S Ji’Ayir Brown (ankle)
WR Ricky Pearsall (illness, chest)

Full participation

RB Isaac Guerendo (foot, hamstring)
S Talanoa Hufanga (wrist)

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Nick Bosa returns to Lions game after hit to head

San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa briefly exited Monday’s contest vs. Detroit, but the 49er star cleared concussion protocol.

San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa exited early in the 49ers’ Monday Night Football battle versus the Detroit Lions after being on the wrong end of a collision with one of his own teammates.

With San Francisco in possession of a 14-6 lead, Bosa pressured and sacked Detroit quarterback Jared Goff. As Bosa was finishing the sack off, though, 49ers linebacker Dee Winters also came in to try to clean the play up.

Winters’ helmet crunched into the headgear of Bosa and both players were shaken up. Winters remained in the contest, but Bosa exited and made his way to the blue medical tent.

According to the 49ers, Bosa was evalutated for a concussion for a concussion and cleared protocol to return.

In what is obviously great news for the San Francisco defense and for the 49ers’ fortunes, Bosa did reenter the contest.

Bosa entered Monday night with 44 tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception in the 2024 NFL season.

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49ers Week 16 inactives show they’re not quitting on 2024 season

Week 16 inactives!

It would be difficult to blame the San Francisco 49ers if they shut down some of their injured veterans in the final three games of what is all but guaranteed to be a lost season.

Alas, their Week 16 inactives show they’re not ready to punt the 2024 campaign just yet.

With linebacker Dre Greenlaw and defensive end Nick Bosa both listed as ‘questionable’ on the injury report, it would’ve been easy to have both players down with an eye toward the 2025 season. Both star defenders are in the lineup though after not being listed with the team’s Week 16 inactives.

Here’s who won’t suit up Sunday:

QB Joshua Dobbs (third QB)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)
RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring)
TE Jake Tonges
DL Khalil Davis
CB Rock Ya-Sin
DL Robert Beal Jr. (ankle)

Beal is the only real surprise since he was listed as questionable after an ankle injury cropped up during the week. Defensive lineman Alex Barrett was elevated from the practice squad in part of the 49ers’ Saturday roster moves. He’ll likely replace Beal in the DL rotation.

It’s unclear what Greenlaw’s role will be in his second game since returning from an Achilles tear in the Super Bowl. He played the first half against the Los Angeles Rams in his Week 15 debut, but exited with fatigue issues and soreness. He was limited in practice throughout the week, listed with knee and Achilles ailments.

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49ers superstar downgraded in updated Week 16 practice report

Nick Bosa was limited for Wednesday’s practice. He was out for Thursday’s session.

It’s unlikely we see the San Francisco 49ers ‘tank’ to close the 2024 season with so much on the line for so many players.

However, it wouldn’t be a shock if some of their injured veterans who have contractual security wind up taking a step back instead of battling through their ailments.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday indicated left tackle Trent Williams may wind up being shut down for the year. In Thursday’s practice report defensive end Nick Bosa also showed up as a non-participant following a limited session Wednesday.

Bosa is working through hip and oblique injuries that cost him three games before he stepped back into the lineup for Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams.

The obvious concern for the 49ers as they navigate the fine line between finishing out the season strong and not jeopardizing their key veterans’ health in the future is keeping players like Bosa healthy for the 2025 season. Scaling him back in the run up to Week 16 isn’t a major surprise. It would be equally unsurprising if he winds up slowing down his attempts to return by season’s end with an eye toward a fully healthy 2025 campaign.

Did not participate

DT Maliek Collins (illness)
RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)
DE Nick Bosa (hip, oblique)

Limited participation

LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles, knee)
OT Jaylon Moore (hip)
S Malik Mustapha (chest)
G Nick Zakelj (illness)

Full participation

G Aaron Banks (elbow)
S Ji’Ayir Brown (groin)
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee)
S Talanoa Hufanga (wrist)
LB Dee Winters (neck)

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49ers open Week 16 practice with 3 players missing, 5 limited

The San Francisco 49ers had a busy practice report to open Week 16 preparations for the Miami Dolphins.

With the postseason virtually out of reach, the San Francisco 49ers can start turning an eye toward the 2025 season. However, it doesn’t appear the 49ers are aiming to start shutting things down with three games to go.

San Francisco’s practice participation report from Wednesday featured a trio of players missing, including left tackle Trent Williams and running back Isaac Guerendo. Williams is still working through an ankle issue. Guerendo had a hamstring injury crop up during the team’s Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Beyond that, players like defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Dre Greenlaw were still participating in practice on a limited basis despite playing through injury issues of their own.

Bosa has been dealing with hip and oblique problems since Week 10, and they cost him three games before his return against the Rams. Greenlaw made his season debut in Week 15 after recovering from a torn Achilles. He left the game with what head coach Kyle Shanahan classified as fatigue and soreness. That both players were in practice to begin the week is a good sign for their chances to suit up Sunday in Miami.

Did not participate

DT Maliek Collins (illness)
RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)

Limited participation

DE Nick Bosa (hip, oblique)
LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles, knee)
OT Jaylon Moore (hip)
S Malik Mustapha (chest)
G Nick Zakelj (illness)

Full participation

G Aaron Banks (elbow)
S Ji’Ayir Brown (groin)
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee)
S Talanoa Hufanga (wrist)
LB Dee Winters (neck)

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49ers update injury report day after loss vs. Rams

Kyle Shanahan provided next-day injury updates on linebackers Dee Winters and Dre Greenlaw and safety Ji’Ayir Brown.

The San Francisco 49ers (6-8) fell on Thursday night against NFC West rival Los Angeles, 12-6.

Along the way, linebackers Dee Winters and Dre Greenlaw and safety Ji’Ayir Brown exited with injuries.

On Friday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan updated that trio’s status on a conference call with reporters.

“Alright guys, injuries from the game. Ji’Ayir Brown had a groin, checked out pretty good, though. He’ll be day-to-day. Dee Winters, same thing with his neck. He’ll be day-to-day also. Greenlaw with his Achilles, knee, checked out good, so he’s just dealing with some soreness. He should be good going forward. He’ll be day-to-day. And that’s it from the game,” Shanahan said.

It’s good news across the board for the 49ers with Brown, Winters and Greenlaw.

Another welcome sight was defensive end Nick Bosa remaining healthy and off the latest injury report. Bosa had missed three games with hip and oblique injuries before returning and playing 47 snaps against the Rams.

“Yeah, no report of anything today, so it was awesome to get Nick back and he really helped us. It was a good sign that they didn’t tell me about anything today,” Shanahan said of Bosa.

The 49ers also updated the status of left tackle Trent Williams.

“He’s trying to get back. This has been a frustrating injury for him. It hasn’t healed like he or we would like. Hopefully, having these 10 more days before our next game, hopefully that gives a better chance.

“Trent’s doing everything he can to get back, but he is injured. With the injury, there is a chance he will get back, but it has to start recovering and it’s been a lot slower than anticipated,” Shanahan said.

Williams has missed four consecutive games with his ankle injury.

The 49ers close their 2024 season with games at Miami on Dec. 22, versus Detroit on Dec. 30 and at Arizona on Jan. 5.

49ers inactives: Lots of good injury news vs. Rams

Thursday Night Football against the Rams will mark the return of two key pieces on the 49ers’ defense.

For the first time maybe all season, the San Francisco 49ers are getting good news when it comes to injuries and inactive for their Thursday Night Football tilt against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium.

Before the positive news, the 49ers announced six inactive players for Thursday night, including All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams and rookie safety Malik Mustapha. New running back Israel Abanikanda is also listed as inactive along with QB Joshua Dobbs, DL Khalil Davis and CB Rock Ya-Sin.

Via @AdamSchefter on Twitter:

While they’ll have to figure out how to deal with the Rams without Williams and Mustapha, the 49ers will be getting back defensive star Dre Greenlaw and Nick Bosa.

Along with the highly anticipated returns for Bosa and Greenlaw, the 49ers will also have breakout running back Isaac Guerendo on the field on Thursday. Guerendo has been banged up since his performance last week against the Bears. The rookie running back has been dealing with a foot sprain.

The 49ers will kick off against the Rams on Thursday night at 5:20 p.m. PT.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Injury issues remain on 49ers practice report to begin Week 15

No practice Monday for the 49ers, but here’s what their practice report would’ve looked like.

The San Francisco 49ers are looking for a miracle in order to make it to the postseason for a fourth consecutive season. That miracle doesn’t appear to be coming on the injury front.

Monday’s projected practice report didn’t offer any positive updates on some of the 49ers’ injured stars. The team didn’t practice, but they still have to submit a projected participation report leading up to Thursday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

Defensive end Nick Bosa and left tackle Trent Williams both remain out with hip/oblique and ankle injuries, respectively. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday in a conference call indicated neither player has made much progress over last week. Neither Bosa nor Williams practiced leading up to Week 14. Bosa was listed as doubtful on the injury report before sitting out a third consecutive game. Williams was ruled out on the injury report.

Here’s the full projected practice report:

Did not participate

G Ben Bartch (ankle)
DE Nick Bosa (hip, oblique)
RB Isaac Guerendo (foot)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)

Bartch was hurt in San Francisco’s Week 14 win. He started for Aaron Banks who cleared concussion protocol and is in line to return Thursday. Guerendo also went down in that game and it doesn’t appear he’s on track to suit up in a short week, but Shanahan remains hopeful.

Limited participation

LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee)
LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles)
DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)
S Malik Mustapha (chest, shoulder)
LB Dee Winters (ankle)

That’s a lot of banged up LBs! Greenlaw has a chance to make his return Thursday depending on how his week of practice goes, per Shanahan. Mustapha, Gross-Matos and Winters all played well against Chicago, but limited sessions to start the week put a question mark over their availability for Thursday’s contest.

Full participation

G Aaron Banks (concussion)
S Talanoa Hufanga (wrist)
DE Sam Okuayinonu (wrist)

Good news all around here with Banks clearing concussion protocol and Hufanga getting through his return from a wrist injury without any setbacks.

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