The San Francisco 49ers' 16-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday was overshadowed by the early exit of star defensive end Nick Bosa. His injury immediately raised concern across the locker room, with teammates and coaches acknowledging the impact of potentially losing one of the NFL's top pass rushers.
Left tackle Trent Williams admitted that Bosa's absence took away some of the team's typical in-game enthusiasm.
"Anytime you lose a guy like Nick, and he doesn't come back, and his status is unknown, it's a real buzzkill," Williams said after the game. "I can honestly say that, going down to win the game, the drive to win the game, I thought about Nick plenty of times while I was in the huddle."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan praised the defense for responding after Bosa's departure, noting that the unit didn't fold under the pressure of losing one of its leaders.
"It didn't seem like they wavered," Shanahan said. "Any time you lose your best player, always, guys are disappointed and stuff, but you can't sit there and feel sorry for yourself. It's tough enough to play in this league, and you've got to be ready. I didn't sense anything from the guys at all. You didn't hear anyone talking. Guys had to step it up, and it looked like the guys did."
The 49ers await further test results on Bosa's knee. While initial evaluations suggest the worst-case scenario may have been avoided, Shanahan admitted it's too early to know the full extent of the injury.
What would happen if Bosa is sidelined for an extended stretch?
"I'm just hoping, praying that we get some good news," Williams admitted. "But it's cliché to say it's a next-man-up league when you lose a guy like that. You need three or four guys to come and fill those shoes. I think we've got the depth, and we've got the youth, so hopefully, they can continue to improve."
Losing Bosa would be a significant blow. The 49ers rely heavily on his pass-rushing dominance, disruptive presence, and leadership along the defensive front. Without him, San Francisco would need multiple players to step up to help fill the void.
"Unfortunately, we know too well about guys going down and next-man-up mentality," star linebacker Fred Warner said. "Other guys had to fill in and play big-time minutes for us and find a way to get the job done."