49ers star Nick Bosa looks ‘better’ than before knee injury, per Trent Williams originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers have several players returning from major injuries ahead of the 2026 NFL season, including star edge rusher Nick Bosa.
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The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year tore his ACL in Week 3 last year, but he notably was not placed on the physically unable to perform list to start training camp this weekend.
In fact, according to 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, it’s almost like Bosa never was hurt in the first place. Williams was asked Sunday if he’s looking forward to doing one-on-one reps in practice against Bosa for the first time in nearly a year.
“Yeah, it has been a while. I mean, speaking of Bosa though, he looks like … I see him every day, I couldn’t even tell that he had an injury or he came back from anything,” Williams told reporters. “Most people with a knee injury that catastrophic, you know, you come back, you can see something, right? You can see it in the atrophy, in the muscle, in the legs. You can see something.
“I mean, Bosa looks better than he did before he got hurt last year. So, that’s just a commendment to him and how hard he works. A guy that successful with that much for his motor to still run as high as it (does) — I think it’s just a testament to his character.”
With such a young group around him on defense, the 49ers would love to see Bosa back at an All-Pro level this season.
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Likewise, Fred Warner also avoided the PUP list to begin training camp after his brutal ankle injury in Week 6 last year. The star linebacker pointed out how Bosa’s familiarity with ACL tears — he sustained the same injury in 2020 — has helped him in his recovery this time around. Warner was asked Sunday if he’s surprised by Bosa’s current status 10 months after going down.
“No, I’m not surprised,” Warner said. “You know, Nick is one of the hardest workers and guys who’s so in tune with his body. And having gone through that injury before, he obviously knows the steps and things that he has to do and accomplish in order to get back on top and be the guy that he’s always been, right? So, yeah, I’m not surprised one bit.”
All in all, it’s a potential sign of good things to come for the San Francisco defense in 2026.
