Bosamight miss season opener.
Nick Bosa’s debut in a 49ers uniform is on hold until the regular season, and uncertainty now looms whether the rookie defensive end will be healthy for the Sept. 8 opener at Tampa Bay.
“We’re hoping for Week 1. We think he has a good chance for it but can’t guarantee that,” coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR 680-AM before Thursday’s practice.
Shanahan termed it a “serious” ankle injury that could have been worse, adding that the team’s initial reaction was of a potential season ender for Bosa.
“We’re going to be very prudent,” general manager John Lynch said earlier on KNBR. “The great thing I can tell you about Nick Bosa, is he’s been dominating practice out here on a daily basis.
“He’s a game- changing type player, everything we hoped and expected and we have to get him right for this season.”
Bosa definitely will miss the exhibition season after going down in Wednesday’s practice, according to Lynch, who stopped short of calling it a “full-blown” high- ankle sprain which usually takes at least four to six weeks to recover.
The 49ers scheduled follow-up tests Thursday and Bosa’s progress will be closely monitored over the next month.
“We had a big pileup and a very big man fall on his leg, “Shanahan said. “We’re very fortunate he was a
good enough athlete that he got his leg out of there, because a lot of other people it would have been their knee. There’s nothing he could have done about it.”
“We want him right,” Lynch added. “We’re not going to put his health or our team’s … We’re going to do what’s in the best interest and trust the medical staff on that, and trust Nick.”
Drafted No. 2 overall out of Ohio State despite missing all but three games last year with a core-muscle injury, Bosa looked phenomenal as a pass rusher and run stopper in training camp. Then came practice No. 10, and he exited early, as was the case in May when he hurt a hamstring the second day of organized team activities and missed the rest of the offseason workouts.
“We don’t feel he is injury prone,” Lynch said. “Yesterday he had a big human being fall on his leg while he was engaged with someone else. Some of those things, that’s football. You can’t prevent that.
“We’re thrilled with what we have in Nick Bosa. We’re going to get him right and he’ll be a great player for a long time in this league.”
In other injury news, Shanahan said of running back Jerick McKinnon: His ACL comeback is on hold after a “lot of soreness” in his right knee, after only his first two days of light practicing outside of team drills.
He will have a plateletrich plasma injection and be out two weeks.
Going on short-term injured reserve is a possibility, as he can not revert to the physically- unable- toperfom list. With Jeff Wilson (calf) still out, the 49ers figure to rely mostly on Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert and Austin Walter in the exhibitions while preserving potential starter Tevin Coleman.
• Tarvarius Moore took another step to winning the starting job at free safety, intercepting a Jimmy Garoppolo pass intended for Dante Pettis, although Trent Taylor was also in the vicinity.
Moore, whom the 49ers converted to cornerback as a rookie last season, said it feels “natural” playing at safety with his speed. He appears to have surpassed Adrian Colbert on the depth chart — Colbert made back-to- back pass breakups Thursday — but Jimmie Ward could still be the Week 1 starter if he fares well upon entering team drills next week.
Moore also broke up a 50yard throw from Garoppolo intended for George Kittle. Perhaps more noteworthy on that play: linebacker Kwon Alexander nearly stayed stride for stride with Kittle down the field, Alexander’s toughest test in his ACL comeback.
• Shanahan said he hasn’t decided whether Nick Mullens or C. J. Beathard will start in place of Garoppolo against the Cowboys in Saturday’s preseason opener. Mullens took the first snaps during scout-team preparation Thursday.
Just as Garoppolo did this offseason, Mullens and Beathard also visiting Southern California throwing-mechanics guru Tom House. Shanahan said Mullens came away feeling he added at least four yards of throwing potential.
Garoppolo’s favorite completion (13- of-21 on the day) was a 9-yard touchdown pass he threaded to Taylor over the middle, two snaps after Taylor missed a onehanded attempt there.
• Dee Ford, the 49ers other marquee addition to their pass rush, has missed the past week of practice because of knee tendinitis that acted up in the fourth practice of camp.
Other defensive ends ailing are Arik Armstead (calf), Ronald Blair (groin) and Jamell Garcia-Williams (concussion).
That injury wave prompted the 49ers to sign defensive lineman Jeremiah Valoaga. Wide receiver Chris Thompson got waived in a corresponding