Nick Bosa would not have been ready to play during the regular season, his father John told 10TV's Dom Tiberi.
Bosa actually played with a groin injury during the first two games of the season and then suffered a bilateral tear in his abdomen against TCU, John said. The recovery time for that injury is about 12 weeks, putting his return date "well into December."
"Nick clearly had played the first two games with some damage in his groin area, and unfortunately at TCU he ended up with a bilateral tear," John said. "Surgery went fantastic and we’re headed up there to see the doc, but the reality is the return on a bilateral repair like that is about 12 weeks. So when you do the math on that, we looked at that and to really safety return put him well into December."
Even knowing the calendar and recovery time, it was not a decision they made easily.
"So as a family, it’s just a horrible decision and just a heartbreaking decision for us," John said. "I think we were going to witness one of the most amazing years a defensive lineman has had here, and obviously Nick was focused. Part of his goals was to see how far we could get through down in the playoffs."
Nick's departure from the team means the end of an era for the Bosa family, as for the first time since the 2013 season, there will not be a Bosa on the roster. John is sad to see it come to a close, but he has no regrets.
“I’ve trusted the Buckeyes with both of my sons," John said. "We love coach Johnson, we love Urban Meyer, it’s just been a wonderful experience that unfortunately had to end like this. But I know we’re doing the right thing for thing for our son."
