Nick

Bosa

Barrows notes that Bosa will “likely get ramped up in practice over the next two weeks or so.” It doesn’t sound like he’s expected to be a full go just yet, but it’s always a good sign for a player coming off an ACL tear in the previous season when he avoids the PUP list to start camp. Bosa totaled two sacks and nine tackles in just three games last season, but had totaled nine or more sacks in each of his previous four seasons. Still only 28 years old, Bosa should have plenty to offer the Niners’ defense once he’s back in full and getting after the quarterback.

Williams suffered a torn ACL in Week 9 last season and was seen doing resistance bands workouts at the team’s facilities last month. The second-year pass rusher totaled 11 tackles, four TFLs, and one sack in his rookie season before going down, and is one of a handful of players the Niners are hoping to have back on the defensive side of the ball. Veteran pass rusher Nick Bosa (knee), who also suffered a torn ACL last season, is also working his way back to the field and said he is “pretty far along” in his recovery. If either player is unable to go by the start of camp, they will likely be added to the PUP list with a chance to be activated when they clear all medical and conditioning tests.

Bosa has been rehabbing this offseason after tearing his ACL early in November. He said he is “far along” in the recovery process and should be good to go for the 2026 season. Bosa tore his right ACL in high school and his left ACL in 2020. Although having experience in this department is less than ideal, Bosa said his prior experiences have helped him during this rehab process.

Fellow EDGE Nick Bosa (also knee, also ACL), who suffered his injury six weeks earlier, is expected back for Week 1. It sounds like Williams is in more doubt. Based on that, it’s certainly possible the second-year EDGE player starts training camp on the PUP list. 49ers beats saw Williams doing side-to-side movements and working with resistance bands at rookie minicamp, so he’s certainly active, but he still has several hurdles to clear in his rehab before a return is on the table.

Roughly two months ago, 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters that both players were expected to return sometime “around” training camp, so today’s report confirms that they generally remain on track. We do not yet know when they are expected to be full-go, though, so things are still a little fluid. Bosa, 28, suffered a torn ACL on September 21st. Williams, 21, reportedly hyperextended his knee on August 7th and later tore his ACL as well on November 2nd.

The 49ers did a simple restructure on Bosa’s contract, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, creating $17.1 million in cap space. The 28-year-old defensive lineman is still due $23.1 million this season while his cap hits in 2027 and 2028 are now over $100 million combined. Bosa played just three games in 2025 after tearing his ACL in the first month of the season, but is expected to be available sometime around training camp.

The news comes straight from 49ers general manager John Lynch, though the 49ers’ injury updates have been less than reliable over the past 18 months. Bosa, 28, tore an ACL on September 21. Williams, a 21-year-old first-round rookie, tore his on November 2. The 49ers are a candidate to bring in more EDGE depth in the draft or late free agency given how much injury uncertainty they’ll carry there in 2026.

Bosa’s surgery will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the same doctor who repaired his ACL during the 2020 season. The star pass-rusher’s season is over, but there’s hope that a “clean” tear will make for an easy procedure and recovery for the 27-year-old vet. Bosa’s 2020 ACL tear occurred in Week 2, and he was able to rehab in time to be ready for Week 1 of the following season. Hopefully, he can see a similar recovery timeline entering 2026.

The 49ers had optimism last night, but this is a devastating blow. The injury is to Bosa’s right knee, which he also tore as a senior in high school. San Francisco was getting by with Bosa and some blitz packages, but now has no obvious source of pressure on the roster. Bryce Huff could be elevated beyond his situational role as the 49ers try to pick up the pieces on defense. It’s a major downgrade for their D/ST and will make their playoff climb a little steeper, even at 3-0.

Shanahan won’t fully rule out an ACL injury, saying that there “is concern because of how he feels,” but noted that tests don’t indicate an ACL injury. The veteran pass rusher exited in the first half of Sunday’s win over the Cardinals to be evaluated and didn’t return to the field. Shanahan said the team is hoping for “good news tomorrow,” which is when we would expect to learn more about where things stand.