Raheem Morris confirms Nick Bosa will play in 49ers' opener against Rams

Nick Bosa will be on the field when the San Francisco 49ers open their season Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris confirming that the star edge rusher's surgically repaired right knee is ready for game action.

Morris made the declaration after Monday's practice, ending weeks of quiet uncertainty around a player who tore his ACL in a Sept. 21 game against the Cardinals last season and underwent surgery six days later. Bosa dealt with soreness and tendinitis in the knee during his summer comeback, and the 49ers backed him down until he returned to practice Sept. 2. He said last week he expected to be ready for Week 1 and made the trip with the team.

Bosa isn't the only San Francisco star on track to play. Tight end George Kittle is trending toward the opener as well.

The opener will be Bosa's first game action since the September injury — he has not recorded a double-digit sack season since 2023 and has appeared in only 17 games over the past two seasons, per Pro Football Talk. Morris made clear the 49ers are not hiding that their anchor is playing; how quickly Bosa gets all the way back to his old self may still take time as the team manages the knee early in the season.