Bowman was part of another trade rumor during the offseason, which 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan were quick to deny.
Bowman, who has been an every-down player since 2011, found himself on the sideline during an overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. He played in 58 of 76 defensive snaps against the Colts and saw Brock Coyle replace him for two series.
Shanahan told reporters the idea was to keep Bowman fresh by giving him some rest. Bowman didn't like being sidelined.
"I would expect Bowman to be the most angry human being in the entire world," 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said on Thursday. "I would expect nothing else and I would expect him to fight tooth and nail to come off the field and I would expect him to fight tooth and nail to get back on the field. And that's why Bowman is a special football player and that's why he's been fantastic his entire career."
Bowman has sustained two major injuries to his left leg since January of 2014. He appeared in just four games in 2016 after a torn Achilles ended his season last October. The injury came nearly 13 months after Bowman's return from gruesome ACL and MCL tears.
Bowman, who is in his eighth NFL season, was drafted out of Penn State by the 49ers in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
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