5 things to know about the 49ers: Nick Bosa's holdout, George Kittle's injury loom large

The Steelers open their season against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. Here are five things to know about the NFC West foe ahead of Week 1.
Nick Bosa is still holding out — As of Tuesday morning, the prolific pass rusher was still nowhere to be seen at Niners facilities as he seeks a long-term extension that would make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in football. The 25-year-old has one year remaining on his rookie deal before he’s set to hit free agency this coming spring, so it’s understandable that he’d like to leverage his All-Pro talents into some security before subjecting himself to possible injury. That said, the dance has long since passed the point of being productive for either side. Bosa hasn’t seen a single practice rep. And his absence no doubt has a massive impact on the game plan his coaches are attempting to put together. If there’s no deal soon in the next 48 hours or so, it’s hard to imagine anyone will be comfortable with Bosa jumping directly into the proverbial fire and being his disruptive self. He posted 18.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss last season. And his 90.9 PFF grade ranked third among NFL pass rushers, ahead of the Steelers’ T.J. Watt and behind only the Browns’ Myles Garrett and the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons. Can he be that guy coming in mostly cold, though? That is the biggest question looming over the week ahead, even if the dispute is somehow resolved in a timely manner.
George Kittle’s status is also up in the air — As if the Bosa situation was not enough Week 1 drama, it’s also not clear what’s going to happen with the Niners’ star tight end. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch reported Monday that the groin injury that kept Kittle off the practice field Monday may well prevent him from suiting up Sunday. His appearance running sprints on a side field was an encouraging sign, but groin injuries are notoriously tough for players to deal with when getting hit, so it’s an open question whether he could actually block or make any tough catches over the middle right now. If he’s out, it would obviously be a big loss for this offense. Kittle hasn’t been the 1,000-yard receiver of his early career lately — his 60 catches last season were his fewest in at least 15 games of action since his rookie campaign in 2017. But he’s still a massive red zone threat, evidenced by his 11 touchdown catches a year ago. That’s a guy the Steelers would certainly prefer not to deal with, so keep an eye on Kittle’s status throughout the week.
Brock Purdy is their guy now — Jimmy Garoppolo is now gone to Las Vegas. Former top draft pick Trey Lance was traded to Dallas during the preseason. That leaves the man who started last season behind them on the depth chart as the only truly viable guy under center for coach Kyle Shanahan’s prolific offense. No one seriously believes in habitual underachiever Sam Darnold or career journeyman Brandon Allen as alternatives. So pretty much all of the Niners’ hopes are resting on Purdy’s ability to come back from the elbow injury that ended his 2022 campaign in the NFC championship. Fortunately for them, the preseason results signaled that, at the very least, he’s healthy enough to carry the burden. He completed nine of 14 passes for 138 yards and a solid QB rating of 96.7 in a pair of appearances. Not quite Kenny Pickett-level performance. But good enough to indicate that he’s ready to play. The big question now is whether he’s talented enough to hold up against a full NFL schedule after logging meaningful time in just eight games a year ago, so the Steelers defense will be a nice test of exactly how ready for prime time he is as the sole focus of opposing game plans.
Christian McCaffrey is healthy and has help — Before last season, the star running back had not played in at least 16 games since 2019. But he has the help around him in San Francisco to limit wear and tear. Receiver Deebo Samuel is back and always a threat to run in Shanahan’s offense. He averaged 5.5 yards on 42 carries in 2022. And Elijah Mitchell is back at full strength, too. McCaffrey’s primary backup was even more lethal in five games a year ago, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. The pressure is no longer all on the 27-year-old McCaffrey like it was in Carolina. And so it will be interesting to see how the Steelers handle these diverse threats in the running game. Run defense was a major point of improvement, but practically the entire inside linebacking corps has been replaced with names including Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander. McCaffrey and Co. will be a major test of the promise those guys showed in training camp and the preseason.
Familiar face Javon Hargrave was the big free agent addition — The former Steeler signed a four-year, $84 million deal with $40 million guaranteed this offseason, so all eyes will be on him to see how he fares against his former team in Week 1. Last season, he was a force for the Steelers to reckon with when they traveled to face him in Philadelphia. He piled up eight tackles — including six solo — two sacks and a forced fumble in a dominant 35-13 Eagles victory. For the season, he totaled 11 sacks and achieved a PFF pass rushing grade of 90.8. That all happened along a stacked Eagles defensive front, though. It remains to be seen how Hargrave can look as the focus of opposing blockers — especially if Bosa either doesn’t play or is limited in snap count or effectiveness after missing so much time.
Adam Bittner: abittner@post-gazette.com and Twitter @fugimaster24.
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Published September 5, 2023, 4:38PM