GREEN BAY, Wis. — Nick Bosa can now appear on Saturday night, live.
The 49ers announced Friday that Bosa cleared post-concussion protocol and eliminated his questionable status from their injury report, ahead of Saturday night’s NFC divisional playoff game at the Green Bay Packers.
Bosa sustained a concussion and had to leave the 49ers’ wild-card win at Dallas just before halftime last Sunday, after his head collided with teammate D.J. Jones’ hip on a pass rush. Bosa gave the crowd a thumbs-up as he headed off the field with trainers, but he was not allowed to come out of the locker room after halftime.
Bosa practiced in limited fashion Wednesday and Thursday, and he took part in Friday’s walk-through session at Bay Port High School, 10 minutes from Lambeau Field.
In producing a career-high 15 1/2 sacks, Bosa has rebounded remarkably well from last year’s knee reconstruction and has not missed a start this season, as was the case in 2019 when he won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors for the eventual NFC champs.
Bosa, a two-time Pro Bowler, anchors the 49ers’ defensive line that otherwise relies on a nine-man rotation. That depth paid off after his exit last game, as the 49ers got big contributions from Charles Omenihu, Arik Armstead, D.J. Jones, Kevin Givens, Arden Key and Samson Ebukam.
Also Friday, the 49ers called up two players from the practice squad for potential special teams help: cornerback Darqueze Dennard and linebacker Mark Nzeocha.
Bosa is the eighth 49ers player to have gone through the NFL’s concussion protocol this season, which requires an independent neurologist’s evaluation and a series of tests before being cleared.
Punter Mitch Wishnowsky went through it last week, and he gained clearance six days after his concussion in the regular-season finale against the Rams.
Not all previous cases saw players get through protocol within a week. Linebackers Marcell Harris and Azeez Al-Shaair, kick returner Trenton Cannon and defensive end Dee Ford all missed at least one game.
Running back Elijah Mitchell missed three straight games last month, but that was because of a knee issue after he was cleared from his Dec. 5 concussion. Fellow running back Trey Sermon started the 49ers’ home opener after getting concussed a week earlier on his first NFL carry.
