"Nick's doing great," Kittle shared. "He's out there running. I know you guys see the Instagram videos. He's rehabbing well. He's happy. He's very happy where he is in his recovery. Like I said, I see the videos. He looks great.
"He's been watching the film of just the last couple of days of OTAs, and he says he's ready to come back out here, and come after me and the tight ends, and I said cut blocks are live, so get ready for it. So, I'm just excited to see Nick Bosa back on the football field."
The 49ers could have used Bosa last season. The team lost its Pro Bowl pass rusher to a torn ACL during Week 2 and went on to win just six games. There were other injuries. Many, in fact, throughout the season. However, losing Bosa that early felt like a foreshadowing of things to come. Everyone knew the impact the defensive end would have on the season. That says a lot about his talent level.
Kittle joined the Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday and shared his enthusiasm about everyone getting healthy and the upcoming campaign.
"The fact that we are getting everybody back, it's very exciting," Kittle told Eisen. "I think I've said this about 100 times; I still think Nick Bosa is like the second-best NFL player behind Aaron Donald, and I think he's going to come back with a vengeance. And I'm very excited about that because he's a very talented football player, and he definitely makes that defense gear up a whole extra notch."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan also provided an update on Bosa this week, sharing that the defender is on schedule in his rehabilitation and should be ready before training camp practices kick off on July 31.
"He came out in February for a while to get checked up on his knee and stuff," Shanahan said. "And with him coming off the ACL and everything, it's going great. I'm sure you guys have seen some videos. But he's got a good setup out there with his brother (Joey Bosa of the Las Angeles Chargers) and the guy who works with his knee. They're in contact with our guys all the time.
"I just didn't want to take him off his routine right now. I totally agree with him (being) out there. He's going to show up at some time during this, but he won't be going out there, doing anything coming off the ACL, but we fully expect him to be ready for training camp."
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers add potential George Kittle successor in Daniel Jeremiah's mock draft
George Kittle's timeline for returning in the 2026 NFL season remains uncertain, and it's unclear whether he'll be able to perform at his usual All-Pro level once he does. The San Francisco 49ers tight end suffered a torn Achilles during the team's Wild Card playoff loss to the... -
CBS Sports links 49ers to Joey Bosa, other key NFL free agents
After finishing the 2025 season with a league-low 20 sacks, the San Francisco 49ers are expected to prioritize pass-rush help this offseason, whether through NFL free agency or the 2026 NFL Draft. If the team opts to add a veteran defensive end, one potential move could reunite... -
49ers reflection: Best and worst free-agent signings from 2025
Pro Football Focus (PFF) contributor Bradley Locker recently revisited the 2025 offseason, highlighting the best and worst free-agent signings across the NFL. For the San Francisco 49ers, the top choice was a relatively easy one. Best free-agent signing: QB Mac Jones Who... -
49ers add receiver, running back in 3-round NFL mock draft
Alec Elijah of Pro Football and Sports Network (PFSN) released a three-round 2026 NFL mock draft projecting the San Francisco 49ers to address multiple roster needs—though notably not the offensive or defensive lines, two areas widely viewed as priorities. Still, Elijah has...