Nick WagonerSep 10, 2026, 02:37 AM ET
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MELBOURNE, Australia -- The San Francisco 49ers will welcome back two of their biggest stars from significant injuries for their Week 1 matchup Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams.

The status of defensive end Nick Bosa and tight end George Kittle had been trending well all week, but their expected returns became official Wednesday night when neither Bosa nor Kittle had a game designation on the team's final injury report of the week.

Bosa, who has been working his way back from a torn right anterior cruciate ligament suffered in Week 3 last season, and Kittle, who has recovered from a torn right Achilles tendon suffered in January, will have to be monitored a bit against the Rams but should still play prominent roles. The Niners listed both players as limited in all three practices this week.

"We've got to be smart with that," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "They both look great. But we definitely have got to be smart with that."

While Kittle has long aimed for a Week 1 return, the fact that he has pulled it off has left teammates raving about the work he put in to get back from such a serious injury in such a short period of time.

Kittle tore the Achilles in an NFC wild-card game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 11. Soon after, he teased that his return could come much sooner than expected in part because the tear happened higher in his leg, which improves blood flow and allows for a faster recovery.

Still, getting back on an expedited timeline was only possible if Kittle went above and beyond in his rehabilitation. Along the way, he checked every box, returning to practice a couple of weeks ago from the physically unable to perform list and ramping up quickly enough to get back on the field against the Rams, even if might be in a more limited role than usual.

"Just seeing him back out on the field running around and how explosive he is as a tight end, it feels really good to have him back," quarterback Brock Purdy said. "He's a Hall of Fame-caliber player and he's going to make plays anytime he's out there."

Bosa, meanwhile, has had more time to recover but also had a non-linear progression to get back on the field. Although Bosa started training camp on the roster and not PUP, he practiced for only a few days before soreness and tendinitis in the patellar tendon sent him back to the sideline.

After a series of fits and starts, Bosa practiced in full for the first time since the torn ACL on Sept. 2. He ramped up from there and made it through this week without any issues. He said Wednesday he hadn't yet spoken to defensive line coach Kris Kocurek about his workload against the Rams, but he was hoping to have no restrictions on his playing time.

"I'm feeling really happy," Bosa said. "I couldn't be happier with where I'm at. I'm 100% ready to go for the first game, so it's going to be great."

On the Niners' final injury report before the meeting with the Rams, only defensive tackle Alfred Collins, who tore a patellar tendon in practice this week, is out. Rookie defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. (hamstring) is questionable.

49ers' Kittle, Bosa off injury report, cleared to play against Rams

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