49ers plan for Nick Bosa and George Kittle to return to practice before Australia trip

The San Francisco 49ers are approaching their next stretch of work with a bit more help than they’ve had recently. Coach Kyle Shanahan said the team expects several players to return to practice this week, and he singled out two key names, defensive end Nick Bosa and tight end George Kittle, as reinforcements the 49ers hope to have available as practices ramp up before the club heads to Australia.

Shanahan’s comments, delivered as part of his weekly practice outlook, focused less on game status and more on what the team’s day-to-day workload could look like. The central idea, according to the report, is that practice availability can change week to week, and the 49ers will manage returning players’ involvement accordingly while trying to maintain sharpness as they prepare for a different environment and travel schedule.

Bosa’s presence would represent a boost to San Francisco’s defensive front. As the team’s established edge presence, Bosa’s role matters not just for the reps he takes, but for the way he shapes practice tempo and the quality of matchups the defense can simulate for its opponents. Even without any direct game-week claim, adding him back to the practice mix can meaningfully affect how defensive preparation gets executed.

Kittle’s return would similarly add another layer to the offense’s practice rhythm. The 49ers tight end is a central part of their passing game structure, and he also influences blocking schemes and red-zone personnel looks. Getting Kittle back for at least some practices is therefore relevant to how the offense runs its weekly work, especially during a period when coaches want continuity before a travel-heavy phase.

Shanahan’s overall tone, as described in the report, is that the team anticipates “a few positive reinforcements” rather than a wholesale roster overhaul. That distinction matters because it implies the 49ers may be building toward readiness through incremental additions, using this week to reintroduce certain players and gauge how the rest of the unit functions together.

With the 49ers set to leave for Australia soon, the next practices are likely to be evaluated for two things: whether Bosa and Kittle can consistently participate across the week, and how the coaching staff balances their reps with the rest of the roster. That balance is often the difference between a return that boosts practice quality and one that creates limitations that ripple into the final preparation window.

For fans and reporters, the practical takeaway is to watch how Shanahan describes participation across subsequent sessions. If practice availability expands as the week progresses, it could report that the 49ers are closing gaps in their preparation. If participation is limited, it would suggest a cautious approach meant to protect players while still taking advantage of targeted reinforcements.