It's still technically early, but the San Francisco 49ers sure seem like the NFL's best team. That's the only reasonable conclusion for a squad with an undefeated record and a +61-point differential entering a home Monday night matchup with the Washington Commanders. The 49ers' tremendous all-around success so far is made all the more impressive given that they've been missing one of their best players for most of the season to date.
I'm talking, of course, about former Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. The veteran defensive end has been dealing with a calf injury since a Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins. The 49ers have, quite obviously, already ruled out the talisman defender for Monday night's matchup as they continue to exercise caution with the recovery and health of one of their most important pieces for a possible Super Bowl run.
That begs the question. After missing three straight games, when will Bosa finally make his return to the 49ers' lineup? Based on the tenor of reporting around his injury, it sure seems like his comeback could be imminent, perhaps even as soon as the 49ers' Week 7 road date with the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday.
Nick Bosa (knee, calf) is not practicing. My guess is he’ll be off for another week.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) October 16, 2026
But James Thompson Jr. (ankle) is back at practice.
Of course, soft-tissue injuries can be very finicky. If the 49ers wanted to ensure Bosa was as close to himself as possible when he returns, holding him out of the Falcons game with a bye week right after would make a lot of sense. In light of that, a Week 9 return in a home game against the Las Vegas Raiders feels like a prudent big-picture move for Bosa and the 49ers with their January (and February) goals. That timeline would also give nearly two months of recovery time for his injury, which seems like a best-case scenario at face value.
The 49ers have survived this long in the early season without Bosa. What's another week or two as they try to finally win a Super Bowl during the Kyle Shanahan era?
This article originally appeared on For The Win: When is Nick Bosa coming back to the 49ers?