49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that edge rusher Nick Bosa remains on track to be in the team’s lineup for the start of the regular season in a conversation with reporters on Sunday. When asked whether the second overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft would be ready for Week 1, Shanahan responded, “I believe so,” adding, “That’s been the plan all along. There’s been no setbacks. He’s doing great right now.”
Bosa has been one of the best players on the 49ers roster from the moment he was drafted. Of course, he missed nearly all of last season, however, after tearing his ACL in a Week 2 victory over the New York Jets. While Bosa appeared in all of the Niners’ games during his rookie season, injuries have been a somewhat consistent part of his young career.
Bosa’s playing days at Ohio State were cut short by a core muscle injury that required surgery. Then, in the leadup to his rookie season, a nagging hamstring strain limited him throughout the majority of the preseason.
Still, when he’s been on the field, few NFL players have been better. Even as a rookie, Bosa was graded as an elite-level edge defender by Pro Football Focus. Over his career, Bosa has appeared in 18 games (16 starts) and recorded 53 tackles, 26 quarterback hits, 16 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and an interception.
Shanahan said Azeez Al-Shaair’s knee is progressing “a little bit faster,” which is good news. Al-Shaair was working on the side of the practice field on Sunday. Shanahan said the goal was for Al-Shaair to be healthy for Week 1, “but I think it’s going a little faster than that and healing up pretty nice.”
Jason Verrett and Jimmie Ward missed Sunday’s practice for different reasons. Verrett’s wife was getting induced while Ward had a veteran’s day off.
Here’s a list of the other players who sat out of Sunday’s practice:
- WR Jalen Hurd
- LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
- DE Samson Ebukam
- DL Arik Armstead
- TE MyCole Pruitt
Armstead is battling a groin injury while Shanahan explained Ebukam’s soreness. Ebukam has missed the last few practices:
“He’s got some things in his legs that are just swelling and stuff, and we’re just trying to take it easy on him, the wear and tear of going every day. And we’re actually being pretty safe with him. I know he’s, we’re trying to hold him back. Some stuff like we’ve done with Kinlaw too. We want those guys to make sure they just gradually go through and they don’t take their legs out too much in camp.”
Finally, Tim Harris Jr. didn’t tear his groin. He pulled it. Shanahan said he would have only missed a couple of weeks, but with the 49ers’ lack of depth at cornerback, they needed to “get someone else in here.”
No practice on Monday. The team will practice Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, before having a walk-thru practice on Friday and their first preseason game Saturday against the Chiefs at 5:30 p.m. PT.