For most of camp, Bosa's knee has been the 49ers' biggest lingering question mark heading into the franchise's first-ever trip to Australia. He's working back from tendinitis in the same right knee he had surgically repaired after tearing his ACL last season, and as recently as this week his availability for the opener was genuinely in doubt.
. @harrisonrich_: Nick Bosa’s availability remains mystery ahead of 49ers’ trip to Australia t.co/gNHfwt9DyI
That uncertainty started to clear Tuesday, when Ian Rapoport reported Bosa would make the flight to Melbourne along with George Kittle, who's also trending in the right direction after back-to-back clean practices. Getting on the plane isn't the same as being cleared to play, but it was the first real signal that the 49ers were optimistic about having their best pass rusher for the opener.
The #49ers leave today for their game vs the #Rams in Australia, and star TE George Kittle will make the trip after 2 positive days of practice, sources say. Kittle is trending in the right direction to play. DE Nick Bosa, ramping up with his knee, will also make the trip.
Wednesday pushed things further. Bosa actually took part in practice, and afterward he told reporters he felt great and expects to play against the Rams. That's a notably confident update for a guy who first popped up on the injury report with knee tendinitis back on August 5, and it lines up with head coach Kyle Shanahan's earlier characterization of the issue as a normal, if frustrating, byproduct of coming back from ACL surgery.
Nick Bosa says he felt great at practice, expects to play vs. Rams in Australia. t.co/aX91tazntE
The stakes here go beyond one game. This matchup is the NFL's first-ever regular-season contest in Australia, kicking off at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with the Rams cast as the designated home team. The league has been building toward this for years as part of its international push, and the last thing anyone wants is the defending Defensive Player of the Year watching the historic opener from the sideline in a suit.
Nothing is locked in until the 49ers actually list him active on gameday in Melbourne, but between the travel news and Bosa's own words Wednesday, the trajectory is clearly pointing toward him rushing the passer against the Rams rather than rehabbing on the couch.