The San Francisco 49ers are preparing for their third game of the 2026 NFL season with a 2-0 record and plenty of momentum after opening the year with wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Miami Dolphins. San Francisco now returns to Levi’s Stadium for an NFC West matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
The 49ers have already dealt with several significant injuries along the defensive line. Alfred Collins is out for the season with a torn patellar tendon, while Sam Okuayinonu and C.J. West are on injured reserve. Romello Height also underwent surgery on a broken hand this week, leaving San Francisco with fewer healthy options up front.
San Francisco has now received another difficult update involving its biggest defensive star, Nick Bosa.
Nick Bosa’s Injury Adds to 49ers’ Defensive Line Problems
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Bosa suffered a calf injury during practice this week and is expected to miss a few weeks, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Bosa will not play Sunday against the Cardinals, while the 49ers are still determining whether to place him on injured reserve.
Bosa initially missed Wednesday’s practice because of a scheduled veteran rest day, with the team listing the absence as not injury-related. Thursday was different. He was listed with knee and calf issues and did not participate, marking his second straight missed practice. The official 49ers injury report currently lists him as a non-participant without a game designation.
Bosa is only two games removed from his return from a torn ACL that ended his 2025 season. That injury also occurred in Week 3 against Arizona, meaning Sunday’s matchup was set to come almost exactly one year after Bosa suffered the injury against the same opponent.
Bosa has played in both games this season, recording seven tackles without a sack. He had four tackles in the Week 1 win over the Rams and three in the Week 2 victory over Miami. The 49ers will now have to replace his snaps while also dealing with the absences of other defensive linemen.
49ers Waiting on Nick Bosa’s IR Decision
The immediate question is whether San Francisco places Bosa on injured reserve. If the team does, he would have to miss at least four games before becoming eligible to return, making Week 7 the earliest possible return under the standard IR rules.
For now, the reported expectation is that Bosa will miss multiple weeks rather than the team immediately declaring his season over. NBC Sports Bay Area also reported that Bosa’s calf issue was added to the injury report Thursday after he had been managing a knee issue.
The 49ers will face Arizona without one of their most important defensive players, with the Cardinals matchup scheduled for Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium. San Francisco enters the game 2-0, while Arizona is 1-1.
