49ers' Nick Bosa Reveals Details from Surgery on Torn ACL, Feels Faster Amid Knee Injury Rehab

San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa found a silver lining after a torn ACL limited him to three appearances in 2025.

The five-time Pro Bowler told The MMQB's Albert Breer he had "a little tendinitis" in his right knee dating back to high school. The doctor who performed his ACL surgery alleviated that problem.

"So once I'm through this rehab, I feel like my right knee — because that was kind of a chronic issue that I had a little bit, and he cleaned that up in my quad tendon and that hasn't been an issue at all — could feel better when I'm done with this recovery," Bosa said.

The decorated pass-rusher also expects to be faster off the edge when he's back to full health. Beyond the knee-related factors, he told Breer he has steadily discovered how to tailor his conditioning to best suit his game.

"You learn something every time you do it, every year really, injury or not, you kind of learn how to prepare a certain way to be at your best. When I came off of the one in 2020, it forced me to … I don't know how to explain it. Honestly, my legs get so big when I have years built up of training them. And it's not like I trained to bodybuild my legs. They get big. And I feel like, it's just an observation that I've made, coming off that injury in 2020, I was moving better with less mass on my legs.

"This is a speed game, I'm a power rusher, but speed creates power, and the way you can move is everything. So I think there's something to, 'I move better when my legs aren't quite as massive.' I kind of have that feeling right now."

Setting aside the ACL tear, Bosa's production was tailing off a bit after he led the NFL in sacks (18.5) and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. He totaled 19.5 sacks and 31 tackles for loss between 2023 and 2024, and 2025 proved to be a lost season.

A return to form may do more than boost the 49ers' hopes of returning to the playoffs and challenging for a Super Bowl title.

Bosa is under contract through 2028, and his massive salary cap hits over the next two years will force San Francisco to pursue some course of action. He'll count for $54.9 million in 2027 and then $47.1 million before he hits free agency.

Should the 28-year-old look to have lost a step after the torn ACL, the Niners will have a possible out next offseason. They could designate him as a post-June 1 cut and save $32.4 million while carrying dead money hits of $22.4 million and $27.5 million.

Another big campaign from Bosa, on the other hand, could net him a sizable extension.