Nick Bosa may be better than he was when the San Francisco 49ers pass rusher won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors following the 2019 season. Everyone was expecting big things from the defender during his sophomore campaign, but that season was cut drastically short by a torn ACL in Week 2.
During his first NFL season, Bosa racked up nine sacks—not including his four postseason sacks. He has 14 sacks this season and still has four games remaining. That's already more sacks than his three-time Pro Bowl brother Joey Bosa, of the Los Angeles Chargers, has ever had in one season.
Bosa's return to the field alone would have been a success story in itself. However, the fact that he returned even better than before is a remarkable feat.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott remains the betting favorite to earn NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Bosa has to at least be part of the conversation, though, especially with the impressive season he is having.
This week, Bosa spoke with ESPN's Adam Schefter on the NFL insider's podcast, the Adam Schefter Podcast. The defensive end discussed the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and what it would mean to win the award.
"It would really mean a lot," Bosa told Schefter. "I mean, just thinking where I was just a year ago, it was always a dream. Everybody was always saying, 'Defensive Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, you're getting it.' It sounds good, and it's cool, but you put in all the work for a reason, and my body responded well.
"I actually think I came back better than I was, and I've improved different things about my preparation that I didn't take as seriously before. I think as awful as [the injury] was, it propelled me to be an even better player."
Bosa didn't just change the way he worked out during his long and arduous rehabilitation. He changed the way he attacked his daily routines. That included his diet, cutting out bad carbs, and increasing his intake of healthy vegetables, fish, chicken, and more.
"It gave me a year to just watch and study the game, and I changed how I eat," Bosa said. "That was a big one. My diet changed pretty big. I got a chef down in Florida while I was rehabbing, and she was amazing and super healthy, and all that stuff. And I really think that helped me a lot."
You can listen to the entire conversation between Bosa and Schefter below. It begins at about the 26:30 mark.
[omny https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-adam-schefter-podcast/id1190094109]