Nick Bosa Trending in Right Direction for 49ers Season Opener

Looking good now.

Jul 24, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) awaits his turn during pass rushing drills during the second day of training camp. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After being out for weeks with knee tendinitis/soreness, Nick Bosa made his highly anticipated return to 49ers practice on Wednesday.

Doubt was starting to creep in as to whether Bosa would fly and play with the 49ers in Australia against the Rams. Well, after his encouraging practice today, he's trending in the right direction.

"It was a long road," Bosa said (h/t Nick Wagoner). "There's some stuff I dealt with, with that patella tendon, and then I kind of ramped it a little too fast with the football stuff a month ago or whatever it was. And that kind of told me to back off. I've just been trying to get it as strong and myself as confident as I can to where I could rip the Band-Aid off and go to team stuff today."

Now, you may be wondering how Bosa's patellar tendon is the issue with his surgically reconstructed ACL. He chose his patellar tendon as the graft for his new ACL.

That is the second time he's taken a piece from that tendon, since it is the same ACL he tore before. It makes sense why Bosa has had tendinitis/soreness.

A part of his knee is weak after he took another piece out of it. Do not be surprised if the tendinitis/soreness shows its ugly head again this season.

Bosa may be fine for the season opener, but he can easily have issues several weeks down the line. No one can tell when that will happen.

It's a game of chance at this point. For all we know, he could be fine for the rest of the season after this bump in the road during his comeback.

But I'd imagine he will still have issues. Part of that is because of what he said to reporters today. He was asked if he's confident he'll play in Week 1 against the Rams.

"After today, yea. It was pretty good," he said.

It sounds like he wasn't sure how his knee would respond today. If he's taking it week to week or day by day, then so should everyone.

Bosa was also spotted wearing a brace or a sleeve on his knee. So, while he may be trending in the right direction for Week 1, I doubt this is the last time his knee will be an issue.

Keep an eye on it as the season progresses.

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