San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa has shared a candid message with second-year defensive tackle Alfred Collins, who faces a lengthy recovery after tearing his patellar tendon.
Collins' season was cut short before it began, as the injury will sideline him for his entire second year in the league, a first for his football career. Facing his initial extended period of rehabilitation, Collins is set to embark on a challenging journey.
Bosa, who has experienced three ACL tears in his own career, spoke to reporters in Australia ahead of the team's Week 1 game. He emphasized the personal nature of the recovery process.
"You can have guys tell you ‘keep your head up’ as much as you want, but they’re not gonna be there,” Bosa said. “When you go under and get your surgery done, or the nine to 10 months to a year where you’re grinding away from the team by yourself to get back.”
He added that while team support is valuable, the ultimate responsibility for recovery lies with the individual. "It’s all great to have the support, but he has to do it for himself, and he just has to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Bosa, the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is himself closing a chapter on his recovery after tearing his ACL in his right knee last season, his second such injury to that knee. He advised Collins to approach his rehabilitation "one day at a time."