49ers DE Nick Bosa to Sit Out Week 3 After Calf Injury

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  Nick WagonerSep 25, 2026, 11:21 AM ET

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  Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In over a decade with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 and 2023 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa will miss Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals after sustaining a calf injury during Thursday’s practice, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Bosa, a five‑time Pro Bowler who returned to action this season following a torn ACL in his right knee, had logged 70 snaps across the first two weeks. He was listed as a non‑participant at Wednesday’s practice with a knee rest designation, and the calf issue was added to his status on Thursday, leading to his absence from both practice and his customary media availability.

San Francisco is considering whether to place Bosa on injured reserve, though the team is leaning against it because of limited IR capacity. The 49ers already have defensive tackle C.J. West (knee) on IR, as well as defensive end Sam Okuayinonu (foot) and tackle Alfred Collins (patellar tendon). Rookie defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. is dealing with a high‑ankle sprain, and rookie edge rusher Romello Height has a broken hand, while Mykel Williams remains on the PUP list. With Bosa out, the healthy options at defensive end are Keion White, Khalid Kareem, and Ogbo Okoronkwo.

“There’s a lot of variables there,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday. “That’s why it’s not simple just to put everybody on IR return because then eventually you’re not going to get one back. We’re going to run out of them eventually, so that’s what we’re trying to balance out, see how those guys are this week. … It’s complicated and we’ve got to guess.”

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