Kyle Shanahan Shares Promising Injury Update on Nick Bosa for Week 6

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa has missed the last three games as he deals with a calf injury. The 49ers didn't place Bosa on the injured reserve list, which would've required him to miss at least four games. So, will he be ready to play in Week 6?

According to San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan, there's a "chance" Bosa will play next Monday night against the Washington Commanders in primetime. Additionally, a couple other defensive stars, like fullback Kyle Juszczyk and defensive lineman James Thompson Jr., could also return on Monday.

Gaining all these stars back at the same time would be huge for the 49ers as they've dealt with numerous injuries this season already.

"We know he's got a chance," Shanahan said on Monday. "I think him, Kyle Juszczyk and James Thompson are all kind of in the same boat. They’ve all got a chance, but definitely not saying they're good to go right now. We’ve got to continue to evaluate them throughout the week and it'll take all week, but hopefully they can get there.”

Keep an eye out for Bosa's name throughout the week as the 49ers will continue to evaluate where he's at before determining if he's game ready.

Shanahan's assessment of Bosa's timeline lines up with what the defensive end said about his return himself. Bosa told NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco last week that it was “pretty darn likely” he'd return in Week 6. Originally, the plan was to make sure Bosa returned by Week 7 when the team travels to face the Atlanta Falcons.

“When we initially talked about the plan, that was in play because it was like, do I go to Atlanta if I'm not perfect, yet?” Bosa said. “But the fact that I'm already feeling like I could go out on Monday night and definitely not wait. Definitely Atlanta, possibly next week. Probably.”

So, regardless, Bosa will be back on the field within the next two games. Then, the 49ers will be on a bye in Week 8, so that gives him extra time to recover.