Watch out, opposing NFL offensive lines. The San Francisco 49ers' rookie defensive end, Nick Bosa, is feeling healthier and could see his playing time increase moving forward.
Bosa missed all of the preseason after suffering an ankle sprain early during training camp. He has played in every regular-season game, but the 49ers have been cautious with his workload in an effort to get him back to 100 percent.
It sounds like Bosa is very close to that point.
For the first time this season, Bosa did not appear on a team-issued injury report this week. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked on Saturday about the rookie pass rusher's health and if he envisions the 49ers ramping up his in-game snaps moving forward.
"Yeah, I do, because he -- I don't think he was in the training room nearly as much this week," Shanahan responded. "I know he was full-go for practice throughout the week. I believe that was his first week like this since he got hurt in training camp, so he's definitely doing better."
The 49ers made Bosa the No. 2 overall pick in April. He only has one sack this season but leads the team with 17 quarterback pressures on 68 pass-rush snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, and leads the league in pass-rushing productivity.
General manager John Lynch said this week, via a KNBR interview, that he believes Bosa is feeling much better as the team comes out of its bye week.
"I know Nick has been walking around with a smile on his face because I think he feels a lot more like himself, and I think that's a really good thing," Lynch said. "He's a great kid. He stuck around here the entire bye week (while) everybody was taking off, and that's a good thing to do whenever you get that bye week. He knew this was his opportunity to get as healthy as possible. I think he made great strides on that.
"Is [the ankle injury] completely behind (him)? I sure hope so. You can't count on that, but I know he's doing a lot better, and that's a good thing because he looked pretty darn good with that ankle hurting."
Bosa is eager to prove the 49ers' hot start isn't a fluke and is looking at Monday night as an opportunity to do so.
"Obviously everyone will be watching on 'Monday Night Football,'" Bosa said via Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group, "and everyone is going to have an impression of us. We want it to be 4-0, not as a fake, undefeated team like people are saying now."