Nick Bosa suffered a knee injury in the first quarter of the 49ers’ 16-15 win over the Cardinals on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in their home opener.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said postgame that initial tests did not indicate an ACL tear, but more extensive imaging would be needed to confirm the nature of his injury.
“There is concern because of how he feels,” Shanahan said. “They do tests and stuff on the sideline. Usually they say whether he definitely did (tear the ACL) or not, and they didn’t say that. But we are concerned with that and keeping our fingers crossed for the MRI.”
Bosa, 27, went down on the final play of Arizona’s second drive of the game after being double-teamed by two Cardinals offensive linemen.
He limped to the sideline, threw his helmet and lay down before trainers began evaluating his right leg. He then looked to the stands and giving a speculative thumbs-down gesture on his way to the medical tent. After that initial sideline test, Bosa walked to the locker room. He was ruled out for the game at halftime.
Bosa opened the season with a sack in each of the 49ers’ first two wins, the first time he has done so since he started his 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year season. His sack in the season opener sealed the game as he stripped the football from former teammate Sam Darnold. He had one tackle on Sunday and has 15 total this season.
His left knee was wrapped in ice after last week’s win in New Orleans but dismissed it as nothing major.
His injury is just the latest star ailment for the 49ers to start the season: George Kittle (hamstring) is on injured reserve and Brock Purdy (toe) has missed the last two games, while Brandon Aiyuk is out to start the season after his ACL tear a year ago and Jauan Jennings missed Sunday’s game with an ankle injury.
Shortly after Bosa went into the locker room, fellow defensive end Mykel Williams — the Niners’ first-round rookie — also went in for evaluation on his wrist, but returned to the game.
Bosa has experience with a serious knee injury. In 2020, Bosa suffered a tear of the ACL and MCL in his left knee in the 49ers’ second game of the season, in New Jersey against the Jets. He missed the rest of the season but returned to play all 17 regular-season games and three playoff games in 2021.
The following season, he had 18.5 sacks over 16 games to win the league’s top defensive honor as the 49ers returned to the Super Bowl.
In all, Bosa has played in 84 games for the Niners since being drafted No. 2 overall in 2019 out of Ohio State, recording 64.5 sacks.
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