The San Francisco 49ers had to finish the end of their contest against the Arizona Cardinals without a key piece of the defense.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, star defensive end Nick Bosa was ruled out of the game after suffering a knee injury. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero noted that Bosa was seen giving a thumbs-down on the broadcast.
After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that the team believes Bosa has avoided an ACL injury, but is still getting tests done.
Losing Bosa for any amount of time would be a huge blow to the 49ers’ defense. The former No. 2 overall pick has recorded 15 tackles, two sacks and four tackles for loss through two games this season and had two tackles before his injury on Sunday.
If Bosa is dealing with a long-term injury, it would only add to a laundry list of ailments for the 49ers.
San Francisco came into the season knowing it would be without wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for a while as he recovered from a torn ACL. The 49ers then lost George Kittle due to a hamstring injury in Week 1, and he’s currently on the injured reserve.
Quarterback Brock Purdy also missed Week 2 and is not playing against the Cardinals because of a toe injury. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings is also sidelined because of shoulder and ankle injuries.
Even with the various injuries, the 49ers came into Sunday’s matchup undefeated with wins over the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints, and they’re hoping to stay perfect against Arizona.
That task is much more difficult without Bosa, who recorded 52 tackles and nine sacks in 14 games last year.
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