The San Francisco 49ers are coming off of a Week 9 bye, something the team had been in dire need of due to what felt like a nonstop carousel of injuries to key contributors on both sides of the ball.
But the week off also brought an increasing level of excitement for the 49ers locker room, knowing the practice window would likely be opening for reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Christian McCaffrey.
While things went as planned for CMC's hopeful return to the field in Week 10, head coach Kyle Shanahan shared some concern about the status of All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa, who is currently listed as questionable going in to Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Bosa had reportedly suffered a hip pointer injury during Wednesday's practice, which greatly reduced his participation for the remainder of the week.
Here's Shanahan:
Kyle Shanahan admits he's concerned "to a degree" about Nick Bosa's 49ers-Bucs status pic.twitter.com/aAjmyaXBqj
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) November 8, 2024
After being asked how concerned he might be about Bosa's chances of playing on Sunday, Shanahan said, "I am to a degree, he wasn't able to do a lot."
"He definitely was extremely limited," the 'Niners head coach further explained. "Hoping he'll be alright, but we'll see on Sunday."
Shanahan went on to clarify that the hip injury wasn't something Bosa was already dealing with heading in to the bye week:
"No, no. Just banged into somebody. Got a little hip pointer and, um, just bothered him. I think it was real early in Wednesday's practice."
If Bosa is unable to give it a go come Sunday, his overwhelming presence along that defensive line will sorely be missed. This is a player who recorded 14 quarterback pressures in a single game against the rival Seattle Seahawks in Week 7.
In a league where so much attention is paid to sack numbers (Bosa has 4.5 on the season), the imposing No. 97 tends to bring an impact that goes beyond an official game summary or stat line.
Given quarterback Baker Mayfield's ability to run and often extend plays, much in the way Brock Purdy does, having Bosa suit up feels absolutely essential in the 49ers grabbing a road win against a tough Buccaneers team that just took Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to overtime in Week 9.
Sitting at a record of 4-4, the 49ers still have yet to string together two wins a row this season. The rested squad—along with CMC finally ready to make his debut—has an opportunity to break that pattern on Sunday afternoon in Tampa.