Getty San Francisco 49ers DE Nick Bosa
The San Francisco 49ers have another important division game on Sunday, but they may have to play without two of their biggest stars.
San Francisco is attempting to gain momentum after a wild 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 49ers got the win, but both DE Nick Bosa and TE George Kittle walked away from the game with injuries.
On November 13, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan provided an update on their condition.
“Not too high [level of concern,] Bosa was able to get through it last week,” Shanahan said. “Kittle, I’d expect to have him out there tomorrow. It’s just irritated. We’ll be smart today, but you never know how the week goes. But I feel pretty good about both of them.”
So Shanahan is feeling good about their chances, but he’s also not guaranteeing that they hit the field. But considering the two players’ track record for playing through injuries, it would be surprising for them to not play against the Seattle Seahawks.
Bosa ended this past Sunday with another sack on his record, but Kittle walked away as the hero. The 31-year-old TE caught the 49ers’ final touchdown of the game midway through the 4th quarter.
49ers May Also Get Pro Bowl CB Back
Bosa and Kittle are dealing with injuries, but CB Charvarius Ward stepped away from the team recently after the death of his one-year-old daughter. Ward has been grieving in the two weeks since, but Shanahan said that he may be returning soon.
“I think he’s getting close, just talking to him. I don’t want to put a date on it because you never know if that could change or not. But he’s told us sooner than later and hopefully he’ll be in a good place to come back,” Shanahan said.
Obviously, Ward should take as long as he needs to recover. However, the 49ers are definitely hoping to get him back as quick as possible as he was in the midst of another impressive campaign.
In 7 appearances this season, the 28-year-old corner has registered 5 passes defended.
49ers Star Details Severity of Injury
While Shanahan is fairly confident in Bosa playing against the Seahawks, the Niners DE did explain that it is a very painful injury. Bosa was dealing with a hip issue during the win over Tampa Bay.
“Yeah, it’s probably the worst thing I’ve had to play through, but hopefully I’m able to rest it up this week and get back out there,” Bosa said according to SI.com writer Grant Cohn. “Yeah, I definitely was dealing with some adversity. You just have to not feel bad for yourself out there. If you’re not good enough to go, then don’t go, but I felt like I was good enough to give my team a better opportunity. I’m proud of that.”
Since Bosa was able to continue playing against the Buccaneers, it feels like he’ll be able to suit up for Seattle with no issue. However, aggravating the injury is a concern and it will be worth monitoring the DE’s snap count.
Evan Reier is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. He previously covered sports for the Montana Standard and was a managing editor for Outsider. More about Evan Reier