Here's a warning to the Detroit Lions: Get ready to see a lot of Nick Bosa and Dee Ford in Week 1.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan joined KNBR this morning and discussed his two pass rushers, who missed significant time last season due to injuries. Ford dealt with neck and back injuries that limited him to the season's first game before being sidelined. Bosa suffered a torn ACL in Week 2.
Both are expected to be full-go when the 49ers take the field in Detroit on September 12.
"I'm expecting to see a lot of [Bosa]," Shanahan said on the Murph & Mac show. "I mean, he's been on a plan this whole way, coming back from his big injury and being ahead of schedule since the beginning. And he's gotten two weeks of practice in where he's been out here pretty hard.
"We didn't let him go in the preseason game, which wasn't too tough of a decision. His first year here, he didn't play in any preseason games either, and I thought he did pretty good as a rookie."
Bosa, by the way, was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2019.
"So, the main thing was getting him healthy," Shanahan continued. "Nick is as prepared as any player I've been around on and off the field, so hopefully, he'll stay on course here, and he'll be Nick Bosa come Week 1."
The 49ers have also been careful with Ford to ensure the veteran pass rusher doesn't suffer a setback. Unfortunately, his tenure with the team has been riddled with injuries, including last year's significant one. As a result, some questioned whether or not Ford would ever play football again.
"Any time a guy misses a whole year of football, and part of the year before that, and you're talking about a back injury and things that don't easily heal up, I think it was concerning for everyone, Dee included," Shanahan said. "But he kept saying that he'd eventually get there, and I think everyone [hoped for that], but when you go that long, I understand everyone not being sure.
"But he stayed here all offseason. He did a ton of the right things. And we weren't sure until we got to training camp, but we brought him on slowly, he's been consistent with it, and he's been out there each day. He's gotten a lot more in camp this year than he did last year, and he's looked great in practice.
"So, our hope that we were going with, now, is more reality because the way he looks out on the field, he looks like Dee Ford, and he didn't look that way in camp last year at this time. He kind of was just trying to tough it out. Now, he looks fresh, he looks good, he's feeling good, and hopefully, he'll be able to carry that throughout the season. But, as of right now, it's a lot more than hope because we're seeing it with our own eyes."
Sorry, Jared Goff.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.