After being out for the last six weeks with a calf injury, the San Francisco 49ers will have Nick Bosa on hand in a limited capacity for their first Week 9 practice.
Kyle Shanahan provided an encouraging injury update today that Bosa has made enough progress with his calf to allow him to return to practice.
This is the first major positive step for Bosa since he suffered his injury while warming up in practice for Week 3. Initially, Bosa thought he would be ready to play in Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Unfortunately, he jumped the gun. With the 49ers coming off their Bye, he's now ready. By participating in Wednesday's practice, Bosa is trending toward playing Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Having Bosa back will be a tremendous boost to the 49ers' defense, especially their pass rush. They couldn't muster any pressure on Michael Penix Jr. in their loss to the Falcons.
With Bosa back, that will never be the case. The 49ers have a fairly strong defensive front. They just needed a premier pass rusher to lead the way and draw the offense's attention.
But now the 49ers have added DeForest Buckner. These two have shown before how lethal they are when paired together.
Jan 19, 2020; Santa Clara, California, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) is sacked by San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (99) in the first half of the NFC Championship Game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports
However, that was back in 2019 when Bosa was a rookie. He's dramatically improved since then. Meanwhile, Buckner is still a force to be reckoned with.
He's recorded four sacks (tied for second-most defensive tackles), 15 pressures (tied for 16th), six quick pressures (tied for 9th), and eight quarterback hits (tied for 4th) through the first seven weeks of the season, despite being double-teamed 83 times as a pass rusher, tied for seventh-most among defensive tackles.
It doesn't get much better than that. Bosa and Buckner are going to be a menace together. Not to mention, Osa Odighizuwa is a lethal player in his own right.
The 49ers' pass rush will go from being obsolete to incredible. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has to be thrilled with the talent he has at his disposal.
The 49ers' defense was already playing at a high level without Bosa and Buckner. Now they are going to overwhelm offenses with their physicality.
However, Bosa will be under a magnifying glass for the rest of the season. He's an injury-prone player, so the odds are he will get hurt again.
If he manages to stay healthy for the rest of the season, the 49ers' defense will be one of the best in the NFL.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi as 49ers Provide Encouraging Injury Update on Nick Bosa .
