Nothing tests you as a fan quite like the NFL.
Three weeks ago, I wrote of my excitement at reaching the best time of year. My team are sitting pretty atop the NFC West after a 3-0 start.
Surely I will be ecstatic, and be eagerly awaiting the remainder of the season? Not quite.
Monday’s news that Nick Bosa has torn his ACL and will miss the rest of the season is devastating.
Bosa is one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL. He made two game-clinching plays in the first two weeks of the season. His value to the team is hard to overstate. It does not quite feel fair that his season is over after only nine quarters of football.
Ultimately, an 18-game regular season increases the likelihood that significant injuries are season-ending.
All that work over the offseason to keep in shape, going through the hard yards in training camp, and one awkward fall ends your season. Even the most hardened of fans will surely feel sympathy with the player.
And yet, this is the way of the NFL.
The view from outside
Fans of other teams will not be feeling sorry for San Francisco. Cincinnati Bengals fans certainly will not be getting the violins out – losing Joe Burrow is probably more impactful than the Niners losing Bosa.
Nonetheless, I will be feeling a sense of upset when the 49ers take to the field against the Jaguars in Week 4.
Simply put, it is hard to be as positive about the Niners’ chances of a successful season without such a key player.
There should be some faith in Robert Saleh, whose impact appears to have been transformative on the 49ers’ defense. Saleh oversaw a top five defensive unit when Bosa last missed significant time in 2020.
Repeating that feat would be most welcome, but it is unavoidable that the 49ers are a far better team with the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year healthy.
The emotional rollercoaster of an NFL season as a fan is well and truly underway. There is nothing quite like it. I just wish injuries did not play such a significant part.
