This Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers open the regular season at home against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers will be coming to town with a lethal offense, captained by QB Brock Purdy with an assortment of skill-position players at his disposal who thrive at making plays after the catch. The defense of San Francisco also presents a big challenge to Pittsburgh, having a talented front as well as one of the best off-ball linebacker rooms in the league and an opportunistic secondary.
Still, San Francisco’s best defensive player’s status for the game is up in the air as reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa has been holding, seeking a new contract. Former Steelers defensive lineman and current 49ers DL Javon Hargrave appeared on Not Just Football With Cam Heyward and talked with his former teammate about the upcoming matchup. Heyward asked the question all Steelers fans are wanting to know: Is DE Nick Bosa going to be on the field against the Steelers Week One at Acrisure Stadium?
“I don’t know, I’m praying,” Hargrave said on Not Just Football, which aired on the show’s YouTube Channel. “I’m still looking like y’all looking every day. Just hoping when I see the thing, you know? But I don’t know. I hope so. Boy, we got a great team, but I just know that, you know, we need our top dog there. We need our big dog there. So, I hope, I hope, I hope.”
Hargrave’s response didn’t sound too confident as it appears like he has no idea if/when Bosa may report to the team facility after a lengthy holdout. 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan has echoed the same uncertainty regarding Bosa, stating that he is hoping that his top player comes in this week so he can suit up in the Week One opener in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers are preparing to see Bosa in the stadium Sunday, according to LT Dan Moore Jr., who talked about how the team is approaching Bosa’s status ahead of Sunday’s contest. Bosa is such a pivotal player for the 49ers and their defense. Having a similar impact as Pittsburgh OLB T.J. Watt, Bosa can single-handedly wreck opposing offenses, making his presence felt on every snap. His absence would be a huge blow to San Francisco’s defense, necessitating it to find more creative ways to generate pressure on QB Kenny Pickett.
Hargrave understands the importance and value Bosa brings to the table, and him not being there Week One could notably hurt San Francisco’s chances at victory on the road. Time is running out, and much like Hargrave is doing, we are all constantly checking our notifications to see if Bosa will be showing up at the team facility before the team flight to Pittsburgh takes off.
