SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have dealt with a string of injuries early this season that have forced them to play without stars such as George Kittle and Brock Purdy.
They have overcome that to get off to a 3-0 start, but now face an even bigger test with star defensive end Nick Bosa out for the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee on Sunday.
“I’m sick,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “I’m so sick for him because he knows what that’s like to go through that process of
recovery from that injury, which I know he’s fully capable of but that doesn’t make it any easier. Obviously it’s a huge blow to our team, but we move forward. I hate to say next man up mentality because you can’t just replace him with one player. But the mission is still the same.”
This is the second time Bosa has had a season cut short in September by a torn ACL, having suffered one in his left knee early in the 2020 season. Bosa also injured his right ACL in high school.
The Niners held their first practice on Wednesday since losing Bosa but coach Kyle Shanahan said he didn't need to address the importance of the loss because everyone knows how vital Bosa is to the San Francisco defense.
“I’m not going to sit here and say something and make it better,” Shanahan said. "Everyone knows the deal and so we’ve got to focus on what we’ve got to get done.”
Bosa has made the Pro Bowl in all five of his healthy seasons and won the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022, when he led the league with 18 1/2 sacks.
Bosa’s 74 1/2 sacks in the regular season and playoffs are the fourth most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2019, and his 280 total pressures are the most in the NFL in that span, according to Sportradar.
The Niners will be counting on first-round rookie Mykel Williams, veterans Bryce Huff and Yetur Gross-Matos and several others to make up for Bosa's absence.
“It is by committee,” Warner said. “Losing Nick is a big deal. That’s one of the best players, not just on our team, but on the planet. We got to find ways to continue to create those pressures. He was obviously great for us in the run and the pass so we have to find ways to fill the void.”
San Francisco's top two quarterbacks are both dealing with injuries with Purdy limited at practice with a toe injury that sidelined him the past two games and backup Mac Jones limited by a knee injury.
Shanahan said both would get work with the starters on Wednesday and Purdy has progressed well in the past few days.
Leading receiver Ricky Pearsall missed practice with a knee injury but said it was minor and he will return to practice this week.
“It's nothing that I'm actually worried about at all,” he said.
Receiver Jauan Jennings remained out with an ankle injury but has a chance to return later this week.
Gross-Matos (knee), defensive tackle C.J. West (thumb) and receiver Jordan Watkins (calf) also missed practice with injuries.
Guard Connor Colby (groin), defensive tackle Kalia Davis (ankle), cornerback Renardo Green (neck) and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (illness) were all limited.
The Niners signed defensive end Robert Beal from the practice squad to fill an open roster spot. The team also signed defensive lineman William Bradley-King and safety Jaylen Mahoney to the practice squad and released defensive back Derrick Canteen from the practice squad.
San Francisco still needs to activate receiver Demarcus Robinson this week after his missed the first three weeks with a suspension but can create an open roster spot by playing Bosa on injured reserve.
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