The San Francisco 49ers have played only two games this season, and their injury list already reads like a roll call. The newest addition is star pass rusher Nick Bosa, who strained his calf while warming up ahead of Thursday's practice.

This is nothing new for the 49ers, though. Their roster depth seems to be tested every year.


Head coach Kyle Shanahan isn't feeling sorry for himself. There isn't time for that with 15 games remaining on the schedule and the Arizona Cardinals coming to town this weekend, looking to hand the 49ers their first loss of the season.

Shanahan understands that nothing positive comes from dwelling on things outside of his control, something he's learned through years of NFL experience.

"I've felt sorry for myself a number of times, but I think you just waste time doing that," Shanahan told reporters on Friday. "You get used to just dealing with it. Lots of people have to go through stuff in this league all the time, some worse than others."

The 49ers aren't even sure what to do with Bosa. With so many players already on injured reserve and a maximum of eight allowed to return later during the regular season, the team has to carefully weigh its options with a player like Bosa, who could miss only a few weeks.

Of course, keeping Bosa on the active roster means using a spot that could otherwise go to a replacement or another depth piece.


"He's right there at that point, along with a couple of other guys that are all in the same boat," Shanahan said. "Because of the number we have on it, we won't be able to do all of them. So we've got to decide, and we're just trying to guess which ones will go longer, which ones have the chances of being sooner, and it's just a guess."

In Bosa's case, the 49ers may need to decide by Saturday at 1 p.m. PT, when they need to make any pregame roster moves, including practice squad elevations. Shanahan said he already has a good idea of who they plan to elevate from the practice squad for Sunday, but he refrained from providing that information early.

With Bosa and rookie Romello Height (hand) ruled out for Sunday, along with other players such as defensive tackles C.J. West (knee) and James Thompson Jr. (ankle) expected to miss multiple weeks, it's easy to wonder if the 49ers are simply snake-bitten.

Shanahan, however, is hoping the team's injury luck improves as the season progresses.

"I know we haven't had good luck these last couple of years," Shanahan continued. "It started out bad, so hopefully, we're getting it out of the way, and it'll get better as the year goes.


"I'm happy that we haven't lost those guys for the whole year, but you just plug away and look on to the next challenge."

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