The San Francisco 49ers came away with a 16-15 win in Week 3 over the Arizona Cardinals on September 21 at Levi’s Stadium. However, it came with a cost as Nick Bosa suffered a knee injury during the game.
Bosa going down adds another name to the list of players that the 49ers have lost to injury three weeks into the 2025 season, with Brock Purdy and George Kittle being among the names.
Nonetheless, while Bosa suffering an injury isn’t ideal, San Francisco appears to have avoided the worst-case scenario. Still, the optimism seems to be in the early stages as more tests are needed.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said it doesn’t appear to be an ACL injury for Bosa, but the team needs more tests to determine the extent of the injury. Shanahan said they haven’t entirely ruled out an ACL injury, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
“There is concern because of how he feels,” Shanahan said, but the initial physical test didn’t indicate that. “Hopefully we’ll have some good news tomorrow,” he added.
49ers Defense Responded Without Nick Bosa
Although the 49ers lost their top pass rusher, the defense didn’t let that situation allow them to fold. The group came together to limit the Cardinals to 15 points, and the unit also made key stops as the San Francisco offense didn’t have the best afternoon.
San Francisco’s defense kept the team in the game as the offense only had six points through three quarters. The 49ers’ defensive unit didn’t allow the Cardinals to get away from them and eventually put it in the hands of the offense, which was able to score 10 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning field goal by Eddy Pineiro.
Arizona could only record 106 rushing yards and 154 passing yards as the 49ers’ defense frustrated the opposition. Furthermore, the Cardinals had no player hit 50 yards receiving or rushing as San Francisco kept their weapons in check.
Young Players Step Up for the 49ers
With Bosa going down, the 49ers’ defense needed other players to step up and make up for the loss, which they did. After the hard-fought win over their NFC West rival, veteran linebacker Fred Warner had high praise for the young players who stepped up when the team needed them.
“I think it speaks to the work that they’ve all put in and their maturity,” Warner said postgame (h/t NBC Sports Bay Area & California). “I’ve got to give it to them and the way that they’ve prepared, which has allowed them to come in and be ready for their moments. They don’t play like rookies. They’re coming in week in and week out, making these big-time plays, and we’re going to need them to continue to do so.”
Regardless of whether Bosa is out short or long-term, the 49ers defense will need to count on these young players to play big roles. San Francisco will have two major tests in the upcoming weeks as they’ll face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4 and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5.
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