San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa believes he's getting close to returning to the field. The star pass rusher will miss Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks, marking his third consecutive missed game.
However, Bosa believes he could return as early as Week 6, when the 49ers host the Washington Commanders. If he isn't ready for that game, he expects to be available for Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco's final contest before its bye week.
Bosa sustained a calf injury while warming up ahead of practice on September 24. He played in the first two games of the season, returning from an ACL injury that limited him to three games in 2025.
The All-Pro said he's made significant progress in his recovery.
While discussing his return timeline, Bosa told reporters, "Definitely Atlanta, possibly next week. Probably."
Nick Bosa says he's made a lot of progress recently with his calf injury. Thinks he'll be able to play Week 7 in Atlanta, perhaps even in Week 6 versus Washington.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) October 9, 2026
That's encouraging news for a 49ers defensive front weakened by injuries this season.
Bosa's potential return timeline aligns with comments head coach Kyle Shanahan made this week during a radio interview.
"He's getting better each week," Shanahan said. "I don't think he's far from playing, so hopefully, it'll be sooner than later. We would love to get him out there before our bye week ... so hopefully, we can do that, but still too early to tell."
Bosa admitted that he was initially concerned that his most recent setback could sideline him for a while.
"I've never had a calf [injury], so I didn't really know," Bosa said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. "They told me they're pretty finicky sometimes, calves. But, actually, I checked with my brother (Joey Bosa), who had one last year in OTAs. He said three weeks, and he never even noticed it [after that]."
The 49ers will get a boost at defensive line against the Seahawks. Shanahan confirmed that San Francisco will activate second-year defensive lineman Mykel Williams from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Saturday.
Williams is returning from an ACL injury that cut his rookie season short. His return would provide additional depth to a defensive front that has been without Bosa for the past two games and will miss him again in Week 5.
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