Nick Bosa tore his ACL just 3 weeks into the 2025 season, and now, with Week 1 on the horizon, his surgically repaired knee is barking again. Shanahan confirmed Bosa is dealing with tendinitis in that knee and is considered week-to-week, a gut-punch update for a 49ers team that can't seem to catch a break on the injury front.
The good news, if there is any, is that this isn't being treated as a new structural issue. Tendinitis is a common byproduct of ACL recovery — Bosa reportedly told Albert Breer that doctors cleaned up tendinitis in the knee during his surgery this offseason, and Shanahan has framed the flare-up as something close to routine for guys coming off that procedure. Still, week-to-week is week-to-week, and for a pass rusher who's already had 3 ACL surgeries in his career, every ache in that knee is going to get scrutinized.
Bosa isn't just any edge rusher dealing with soreness — he's the guy San Francisco made the highest-paid defensive player in football history back in 2023, signing a 5-year, $170 million extension with $122.5 million guaranteed. That's the backdrop that makes Hayden Winks' jab land.
Nick Bosa might also be suffering from almost no guaranteed money left itis
It's a cheap shot, but not a baseless one — Bosa has battled injuries for years now, and fans are right to wonder how much more the 49ers can lean on him before the health questions start affecting how the front office plans around him. For now it's just a joke about guaranteed money, not a real read on his motivation.
The bigger picture is a 49ers camp that's piling up bodies before the season even starts. Losing Bosa for any stretch — even a few practices — matters for a defense that leans on him to set the tone up front. Shanahan's tone suggests the team isn't panicking yet, but San Francisco will need him right to have any shot at contending in a loaded NFC, and every day he's limited in August is a day worth watching closely.