San Francisco 49ers release update on defensive end Nick Bosa
The San Francisco 49ers lost defensive end Nick Bosa early in their Wild Card win against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday due to a concussion.
Don Kleiman reported Friday Bosa has cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and will play on Saturday. Bosa did not get a chance to fully disrupt the Cowboys’ offense as he would have loved to. But his 49ers did pick up a 23-17 win over the Cowboys.
Up next for San Franciso is a rematch of a Week 3 showdown with the Packers. San Francisco was able to take the lead late in the fourth quarter with 37 seconds left in the regular-season contest. But Aaron Rodgers led Green Bay into position for the game-winning field goal and went on to win 30-28.
Packers provide update on key defensive players
The Green Bay Packers received great news on Friday as they prepare for their NFC Divisional round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
“Help is on the way for the Packers: LBs Za’Darius Smith and Whitney Mercilus were officially activated off IR for Green Bay,” Ian Rappaport tweeted.
Green Bay facing roster crunch
The Green Bay Packers are dealing with a bit of a roster crunch as Saturday night’s Divisional Round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers nears. With multiple other players already back for the Packers, they are now faced with crucial decisions on a few injured stars on the roster.
“#Packers are now at 53 players on their roster, so they’ll have to create three spots if they activate Za’Darius Smith, Whitney Mercilus and Ty Summers,” said Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal. “Jaire Alexander and Billy Turner are already on the 53.”
Alexander and Turner have both missed time with injuries, and both are now practicing and on the Green Bay Packers’ active roster. Turner is expected to play on Saturday, while Alexander is listed as questionable.
Mercilus hasn’t played since Week 10 with what was expected to be a season-ending injury. Despite that diagnosis, he has returned to practice. He has split time between the Packers and Texans this season, totaling 17 tackles, five quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, and four sacks.
Smith, on the other hand, has not played since Week 1, where he had one tackle. He had a back injury that required surgery and has forced him to miss the rest of the season up to this point. His return would be a huge boost for the Packers in the playoffs.