The San Francisco 49ers' season is off to an interesting start. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has led his team to a 3-0 start, leading the NFC West early in the year. However, Robert Saleh's defense took a fatal hit when Nick Bosa tore his ACL. Unfortunately, the star defensive end's season came to an early end. However, the front office moved quickly, signing William Bradley-King.
Bosa's status was in question in the hours following the 49ers' third win of the season. However, further tests revealed that he is not coming back to the field in the 2025-26 season. With him out of the picture, Saleh's defense had a hole up front that the team needed to fill. While a trade is not out of the picture for San Francisco, the team brought in a bridge player in Bradley-King.
The 2021 seventh-rounder has struggled to earn playing time so far in his NFL career. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, he spent some time in San Francisco before the season started. Now, he has a chance to earn time in Saleh's defense.
“The 49ers are signing DE William Bradley-King to practice squad. Was with the team in preseason,” Garafolo said. “Former seventh-round pick of the Commanders in 2021 who has also spent time with the Patriots and Dolphins.”
While adding Bradley-King is a step in the right direction, the pressure is still on the 49ers to make a move. San Francisco has been tied to star rushers around the league in early trade rumors. For now, though, the team appears happy to enjoy a 3-0 start and weather the storm without giving up any assets.
Bosa's injury is a major hit to a good defensive unit. However, Saleh's return to San Francisco gives the team a good chance to survive without him and be competitive. Now, the pressure is on Shanahan to lead his team to success without one of his best players in the mix.
