San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is already considered one of the NFL's premier pass rushers, but the All-Pro believes he can reach another level in 2026 despite returning from an ACL injury that limited him to just three games last season.

Bosa is confident the upcoming season could be his best yet because his most recent surgery addressed more than just the torn ligament—it also corrected a long-standing issue that had affected him for years.


Last season marked Bosa's third torn ACL. He suffered a right ACL injury in high school, then tore his left ACL during his second NFL season. This time, he injured his right ACL again, but the surgery also allowed doctors to address chronic tendinitis stemming from his earlier injury.

"I had a little tendinitis from my high school ACL, and he cleaned that up while he [fixed] my ACL," Bosa told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. "That's gone. So it's like an improvement. So once I'm through this rehab, I feel like my right knee—because that was kind of a chronic issue that I had a little bit, and he cleaned that up in my quad tendon and that hasn't been an issue at all—could feel better when I'm done with this recovery."

Bosa is currently on track to return for Week 1 when the 49ers open the regular season against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. He was medically cleared at the start of training camp, though San Francisco is taking a cautious approach by limiting his workload and keeping him out of team drills for now.

Despite multiple injury setbacks throughout his career, Bosa remains confident he has plenty of dominant football ahead of him. His return will be especially important for a young 49ers defensive line that includes players like Mykel Williams and rookie Romello Height, who are looking to develop alongside one of the best pass rushers in the game.

Bosa also revealed that he feels faster this offseason after losing some muscle mass in his legs—a trend he has noticed following each ACL recovery. After returning from his previous ACL injury, Bosa recorded 15.5 sacks in 2021 before producing a career-high 18.5 sacks in 2022.


"This is a speed game," Bosa said. "I'm a power rusher, but speed creates power, and the way you can move is everything. So I think there's something to, 'I move better when my legs aren't quite as massive.' I kind of have that feeling right now."

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