San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa suffered a calf injury during practice this week and is expected to miss multiple weeks, per the NFL Network. The report states he will be out this week against the Arizona Cardinals after not practicing on Wednesday or Thursday.
The 49ers are reportedly "leaning towards" not putting him on injured reserve due to limited space. Only eight players can return from injured reserve, so the 49ers will need to be strategic with who they place on the list.
If he is placed on IR, he would miss a minimum of four games, per league policy. The team's next four games are against the Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders.
The 49ers have not been lucky when it comes to injuries, and this is yet another blow to their roster. If Bosa does miss significant time, the team may have to dip into other places to find a DE. Keion White and Khalid Kareem are the two healthy defensive ends and will need to step up in Bosa's absence.
Defensive end Sam Okuayinonu (foot) is on IR, but could return this season, while Mikail Kamara (knee) will be sidelined for the remainder of the year. Mykel Williams is on the PUP list as he continues to rehab a torn ACL he suffered last year and can return in Week 5 at the earliest. Romello Height (hand) is questionable this week, but did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. (ankle) was also sidelined for two days of practice this week.
Defensive lineman Alfred Collins is out for the year with a torn patellar tendon and fellow DL Andrew Farmer II is also done for the season with a back injury. Defensive tackle CJ West (knee) is another player on IR.
On Wednesday, the 49ers signed defensive linemen Naquan Jones and Viliami Fehoko Jr. to the practice squad. On Saturday, they promoted defensive lineman Ogbo Okoronkwo to the active roster.
Bosa suffered a torn ACL during Week 3 of last season, ending his 2025 campaign. The Pro Bowler has started both games so far this year for the 49ers and has seven combined tackles, with three solo, two tackles for a loss and one quarterback hit.
Bosa has spent his entire career with the 49ers, beginning his NFL journey in 2019 as a second overall pick. His resume includes Defensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Pro and five Pro Bowl honors.
In eight seasons, he has 285 total tackles with 64.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and two interceptions in 87 games, 85 of which were starts.
