San Francisco 49ers should play it safe with Nick Bosa in OTAs
Nick Bosa’s hamstring injury does not sound serious, but gives the San Francisco 49ers enough of a reason to play it safe with their top pick.
The San Francisco 49ers had a scare early in OTAs as Nick Bosa sat out the end of Tuesday’s practice after tweaking a hamstring injury.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he did not know the severity of the injury, though it was reported Bosa was walking with a limp but was not attended to by medical staff.
It appears unlikely Bosa’s injury will be anything that has too much of an impact on his preparations for his rookie year. However, it suggests his path to dominating at the NFL level as he did in college may not be straightforward as he gets back to playing regular football after missing most of the 2018 season.
Shanahan said Nick Bosa pulled his hamstring during 1-1 drills. He had been working with the second-team defense before he got hurt. Bosa never left the field, was walking with a slight limp.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) May 21, 2019
Having not played since September, when he suffered the core muscle injury that led to him ending his career at Ohio State early, some rustiness was always likely with Bosa, whose importance to the 49ers defense as a rookie cannot be overstated.
Bosa and Dee Ford are tasked with igniting a pass rush that has been largely anaemic – save for the efforts of 2018 Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner – in recent years.
As such the Niners should play it safe with Bosa, regardless of the severity of his injury.
In an ideal world, the 49ers would like Bosa to get as many reps as possible to shake off any further rustiness and acclimatise to their defensive system.
Yet they also know Bosa’s game, which relies heavily on his outstanding hand placement as well as an ability to translate speed to power and turn the corner, should quickly translate extremely well for the NFL.
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For that reason, the Niners have little need to pile too much of a burden on Bosa at this stage in the season. Bosa is far too important to the 49ers and, if he is healthy, should be an instant impact pass rusher for San Francisco. His ability to transform the Niners defense does not hinge on largely meaningless May practices. Playing it safe is the right move.