For the third time in his football career, San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Nick Bosa has found himself navigating the long and challenging road back from an ACL injury. But this recovery has felt different.
After tearing the ACL in his right knee during the San Francisco 49ers Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals last season, Bosa admitted there were difficult moments early in the rehab process when the emotional weight of the injury hit just as hard as the physical recovery itself.
"It was rough early on," Bosa said during 49ers OTAs. "Obviously, you just want to be able to play. Especially with how good things were going for the defense and for me personally, I felt that was at a pretty high level to start the year."
As the reality of another season-ending injury settled in, Bosa was vulnerable in sharing where his mindset started early in the recovery process.
"You start out wanting to quit, never play again, and never put your body in that position again," he admitted. "And then slowly you realize that you love this game and you want to get back to it."
Now months removed from surgery, Bosa shared that both his body and mind are in a much better place.
"I've never doubted that I could get back to where I am," he said. "They fix you up pretty good and I'm feeling really good. My mind is also better."
The All-Pro pass rusher has been rehabbing in Santa Clara and is present while the team picks up Phase 3 of OTA work. Head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Bosa could return around the start of training camp or soon after, and Bosa echoed a similar expectation.
"I plan on being ready," he said.
While Bosa previously returned from a torn left ACL suffered during the 2020 season, he explained this recovery has been shaped by a greater understanding of his body, the rehab process, and his patience throughout recovery. Earlier in his career, his mentality was to attack every milestone as aggressively as possible. This time, experience changed his approach.
"When I did it in 2020, it was just like balls to the wall, get back, push every milestone as hard as you possibly can," he said. "I probably dealt with some stuff that I didn't need to deal with in terms of bumps in the road of recovery. Now, I'm taking it slow. I have references to go back and look at."
Because this was the second ACL injury to the same knee, Bosa also tore his right ACL as a high school senior, he said the recovery came with different adjustments physically as well. But with more experience and perspective, he learned not to rush the process.
"I got injured pretty early last year so there's plenty of time for me to really kind of lay the groundwork to be ready for a long season," he said.
The mental side of rehab can often feel lonely, but Bosa shared that having teammates alongside him during recovery made a difference. Linebacker Fred Warner and defensive lineman Mykel Williams were among the players also spending time in the training room throughout 2025 season.
"Having Fred along the road every morning in the training room getting worked on in the early stages and then obviously Mykel joining the gang," Bosa said. "It's kind of a lonely time, so having those guys helps."
Bosa also shared that he helped Williams navigate the natural setbacks that come during rehab, using lessons learned from his own recovery experiences.
"We were kind of at different stages, but he definitely asked questions as the process went on," he said. "Sometimes you hit issues throughout the process and it's kind of natural. You just have to take it in stride, either take a step back, or whatever needs to happen, and just trust the process, and I helped him with that."
As Bosa continues progressing towards a return, there's clear excitement surrounding the 49ers defense entering the 2026 season. The veteran pass rusher praised new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris for bringing both energy and experience to the meeting room.
"He's really funny in the meetings," Bosa said. "He's kind of like a comedian up there, but also very knowledgeable."
Bosa also spoke highly of the team's rookie defensive additions, specifically highlighting third-round draft pick Romello Height for the impression he has already made during offseason work.
"Romello looks explosive, looks really good," Bosa said. "He looks polished for a rusher, which is nice... It'll be fun to work with him."
Bosa's outlook on the 2026 season comes with a renewed appreciation for the game and for simply feeling healthy again.
"I've obviously had a lot of time to work on (recovery) and just enjoy some time off," Bosa said. "And all the rest of my body feels pretty darn good. My fingers probably haven't felt this good in 20 years. So, yeah, I'm excited."
