Nick Bosa's availability remains mystery ahead of 49ers' trip to Australia
· Yahoo Sports
The San Francisco 49ers are one day - and one practice - away from boarding a flight to Melbourne, Australia, for their Sept. 10 season-opener against the Los Angeles Rams. It's still unclear if one of their two best defensive players will be making the trip.
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General manager John Lynch said in a Tuesday morning interview with KNBR that defensive end Nick Bosa worked out on a side field Monday and was expected to do the same Tuesday. But the star defensive end wasn't present for either day's portion of open practice.
The lack of transparency from the 49ers surrounding Bosa's recovery is creating a bizarre situation. Perhaps he simply doesn't want to work out on the side field in front of a slew of cameras?
Bosa hasn't practiced in nearly a month. He was dealing with tendinitis in August amid his continued recovery from a torn right ACL suffered last September. According to coach Kyle Shanahan, the tendinitis isn't a concern at this point. Rather, he said the team is "just being smart" by monitoring Bosa's practice intensity on a daily basis.
Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris declined to offer specifics on the management plan for the 28-year-old superstar: "Bosa's got a plan in place. I don't want to reveal it if Kyle hasn't done it, but I'll let him do that stuff, break the news to you," Morris said. "But obviously they've got a real, legit plan … all-hands-on-deck type mentality to get him ready to go, so whatever it takes for him to get out there. I'm just going to feel good when he gets a chance to get out there and to be able to call those plays for him."
Even though San Francisco has a "real, legit plan," doctors seem to have a more pessimistic outlook on Bosa's right knee, which has been surgically repaired twice (the first came in 2015, Bosa's senior year of high school).
Asked if Bosa needs to practice Wednesday to board the flight, Morris said Bosa has played enough football to know how his body reacts to certain situations. Bosa knows better than anyone what he can realistically handle. But one doctor told the Chronicle last month that the type of surgery Bosa had generally takes 12 to 18 months for a full recovery. Bosa won't hit the 12-month mark until three weeks from now.
Rookie defensive end Romello Height also hasn't practiced this week after injuring his ankle and missing the 49ers' preseason finale. The 25-year-old third-round pick's health is important given Bosa's situation, and when considering that defensive end Mykel Williams will miss at least four weeks on injured reserve. Morris indicated the team has a return date in mind for the rookie.
Height told the Chronicle after Tuesday's practice that his injury is "nothing major, nothing to be worried about. (I'll) be ready by Week 1."
The flight plan: It seems like most players plan to sleep during Wednesday's 16-hour flight to Melbourne. A lot. Defensive end Keion White doesn't know if it's possible to overdose on melatonin, but he plans on taking five as soon as the plane takes off.
If he wakes up? Take five more. "Just keep rolling like that," White said.
Rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling said he'll watch some TV before attempting to knock out for 10 to 12 hours. Once in Australia, the Hawaii native said he really wants to see a kangaroo. He's curious how big they are.
Luckily for him, the 49ers should have some time to explore the continent. They'll spend a week in Melbourne ahead of the game. The Rams, on the other hand, don't want to adjust their body clocks - they'll be landing one day before the game.
Lynch said he was advised by sports scientists and sleep experts to travel early. Niners players "overwhelmingly" agreed that it could benefit them to adjust to the time for an extended period. What ultimately convinced Lynch was that he sent a group to Australia who reported back that they felt out of whack for three days.
When he was in the NFL, Lynch said his team once traveled to Japan for a preseason game. He felt the team was "off for multiple weeks" upon returning to the states.
"It's not just while you're down there, but it's how can you set yourself best up when you come back?" Lynch said.
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