News 49ers Team Notes

[San Francisco 49ers]

How will the 49ers weekly schedule change amid another short week?

The San Francisco 49ers will play for the NFC West division title and the conference’s No. 1 seed on Saturday when they face the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in a long-awaited rematch.

The 49ers have been on a roll, winning six games in a row to clinch a playoff berth and keep themselves alive in the NFC West race.

However, they’ve been dealt a tough hand over the last two weeks. In Week 16, the 49ers beat the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football, but had one less day of rest when facing the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night in Week 17.

Now, for the second straight week, the 49ers are going to be one day of rest short, just like the Seahawks, in the important matchup. Looking at the schedule, it made sense to place the 49ers on Sunday Night Football, given the rest factor. But the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens got that slot, despite the latter playing on Saturday last week.

Nonetheless, the 49ers will be on short rest once again, which means some changes to the team’s practice schedule.

“Oh yeah, almost everything [will be different] as far as full speed and stuff,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said about the team’s practice schedule. “We change our schedules up just playing late, not having as much recovery. So, we let them sleep different so we take out some meeting time to gain that. We let them come in a little bit later, but we try to get them out at the same time, so we knock off some meetings and things like that. And obviously, the on-field stuff changes. We had the big adjustment last week with the Monday night game and Christmas. So, it’s the same schedule this week.”

Now, with the deterrents, the 49ers aren’t shying away from their main goal, which is to clinch the No. 1 seed with a win. What would that mean for San Francisco?

“Yeah, I mean it’s one, it’s nice to rest guys, help guys recover and stuff, which is always good,” Shanahan continued. “But, I think the simplest way to say it is, I mean everyone’s goal is to win a Super Bowl, and in order to do that, I would say it’s easier to win three games than four games.

“You’d always rather play at home, no doubt about it. I think in football, out of all sports, home-field advantage is the biggest advantage because I think crowd noise truly affects the game in terms of pass rush and things like that. But, the main thing is just it’s one less game. I’d love to be home. That’s our goal. If that doesn’t work out, we’re excited to go on the road too.”

The 49ers are on a short week again, which means light practices, so the injury report will have to be monitored heading into the weekend. Can they pull off another home win against a playoff team to anoint themselves as the No. 1 seed in the conference? We’ll see.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...hedule-changes-a-lot-seattle-seahawks-week-18

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Golden Nuggets: 2026 is already looking brighter than 2025

49ers offense sizzles while Seahawks’ Sam Darnold sputters: Week 17 film review (paywall)
“The 49ers are still a two-back team, but they aren’t lining up in a typical I-formation with fullback Kyle Juszczyk lining up behind Purdy. One of their most effective formations has been the flex with a tight end and Juszczyk lined up off the ball. When Juszczyk goes into motion, he can either keep going and lead block to the strong side, pull up and insert to the weak side or reverse field and lead on a toss to the weak-side perimeter. The 49ers have shown all this on film, so defenses must be ready for every possibility when he’s in motion.”

49ers’ Austen Pleasants, onetime pizza-delivery man, is improbably back in the game (paywall)
“The story: Not only has Pleasants worked for six teams, three of them twice, since he entered the NFL in 2020 as an undrafted free agent from Ohio University, he’s been forced to pick up other jobs. In 2021, during his first period of football unemployment, the physical education major was a teacher’s aide at Dawson-Bryant Middle School in his hometown of Coal Grove, Ohio, while also working at Giovanni’s Pizza, delivering the “Hawaiian” and “Pepperoni Pounder.”

49ers injury update: George Kittle ‘absolutely’ expects to play vs. Seahawks in Week 18
“”We obviously got to get through the week, but I’d be very surprised if George wasn’t out there,” Lynch said.”

49ers vs. Seahawks injury report: 2 players miss Wednesday’s practice
“Williams exited on the first offensive play against the Bears due to a hamstring injury and did not return. His status for Saturday remains uncertain. White is working through a groin injury sustained in the same game.”

Saleh, Kubiak, Purdy preview 49ers-Seahawks Week 18 matchup
“After the game on Sunday, DB Deommodore Lenoir said he wanted to shadow Seattle Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. A couple of years ago, Indianapolis Colts CB Charvarius Ward did that here. What are the strengths and weaknesses, the positives and negatives of doing something like that from a schematic standpoint?

“That’s a good question. All right. We can go long on this one, but the reality is it’s easy for the guy who travels, right? I got that guy. I’m going to travel wherever I want. But, we’re a zone-based defense, right? So, if it was man coverage, easy for him, but then it is a little bit more difficult for the other guys. Like, how does everybody else align? Do you go match where everyone just picks a number? What if that number’s not on the field? Do you pick a different number? Or is it, alright, we’re all going to align off of DMo? And what if DMo’s in the slot? Does that put the nickel out on number one where he’s not used to being? So, techniques change within your man principles because now you’re in different locations. Alright, now put yourself in zone. You’re trying to match up where he is and you’re matching up now DMo’s in the slot. Does that mean [CB] Upton’s [Stout] now playing corner third, which he hasn’t done all year? And so, there are a lot of new techniques that you’re going to ask a guy to do. It’s very expensive, not for the guy traveling, but for the guys not traveling, if that makes sense. Now, can it be done? Of course it can be done. Do we have it in our inventory? Absolutely. Can we? Maybe. So, we’ll see.”

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...rey-john-lynch-practice-rain-weather-forecast

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

What is the magic number for the 49ers offense in the playoffs this year?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Niners fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

We talked about the issues with the San Francisco 49ers’ defense earlier on Wednesday and how that’s been an issue for over two months. The defense just needs to be average. Competent. Serviceable.

That’s because the offense has been scoring on anybody and everybody in their way. The Bears scored 38 points, and that was not enough to win. The Colts dropped 27 and lost by 21. The Titans put up an admirable fight, finding a way to get 24 points. They were still two touchdowns short of a victory.

Today’s question of the day asks what the 49ers’ magic number is come playoff time. How many points will the 49ers need to score in the postseason to win? For a comfortable win? Obviously, it’s a matchup-based league. But there aren’t many situations where the Niners won’t have the advantage.

These are your options. Let us know if there is a different number in the comments.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...r-the-49ers-offense-in-the-playoffs-this-year

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers final injury report: Kyle Shanahan explains how Trent Williams can play on Saturday

Here’s a look at the San Francisco 49ers’ final injury report of the regular season for Week 18 against the Seattle Seahawks:

Questionable –
Edge rusher Keion White (groin)
LT Trent Williams (hamstring)
Nickel Upton Stout (concussion)
TE George Kittle (ankle)
WR Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle)

Shanahan said Williams has “made good progress,” despite not practicing all week. The reporters in the locker room said Williams was not moving around well in the locker room.

Shanahan was asked how you thread the needle in a situation where it’s a do-or-die game, but there’s also a playoff game ahead:

“It needs to be possible, based off the doctors. It’s got to be more on what Trent tells me. I definitely don’t want to lose any players for the following week, knowing we’re in the playoffs.”

“I also look at it when you’re playing one less playoff game, you can look at that like a playoff game. I know it’s not over if we lose, but you still got to go play a game the next week on the road if you lose. We can completely avoid that by winning. I see this as a playoff game too. I don’t look at it like, ‘Maybe if you lose, you won’t have him next week.‘ I look at it as simple as, if the doctors OK it, and Trent believes he can do it and get through it, then there’s no decision on my part. We’ll definitely have him up.”

Shanahan believes it’s been beneficial for Austen Pleasants to practice every Wednesday with the first team. It’ll be Pleasants’ first start of the season in the biggest game of the year if Williams can’t play.

Stout was limited during the first two days but listed as a full participant on Thursday. Because he hasn’t officially cleared the concussion protocol, he’s listed as questionable.

Kittle said he expects to play earlier in the week.

Pearsall was listed as limited all week. Shanahan mentioned earlier in the week that Pearsall “zinged” his injury on the first play of the Bears game, but managed to make it through. Getting him and Kittle on the field against a defense like Seattle will be much-needed.

Kyle Juszczyk went from not practicing to being limited to a full participant with his hip injury. The same is true for Christian McCaffrey, who initially had a stiff back on Wednesday.

Shanahan said the team didn’t have a full-speed rep all week for the first time besides the Thursday night game. That was the plan to help some of the players who were banged up, like Juszczyk and McCaffrey, but also having three games in 13 days, it was needed for the entire team.

Edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos didn’t practice on Thursday. He does not have an injury designation. Cornerback Renardo Green was a full participant all week and is not listed on the injury report.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...lains-how-trent-williams-can-play-on-saturday

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Robert Saleh breaks down challenging of shadowing star receivers

The San Francisco 49ers take on the Seattle Seahawks in a battle for the No. 1 seed on Saturday Night at Levi’s Stadium, with the loser being either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the NFC.

For the 49ers, their offense has been rolling since Brock Purdy returned from a toe injury. But, their defense has been a real issue. Now, they have the tough task of defending Jaxon Smith-Ngijba, who has been a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses in the slot, on Saturday.

Earlier this week, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir publicly shared his desire to shadow Smith-Ngijba throughout the game, which Kyle Shanahan said speaks to his competitive nature.

“Hopefully I get to shadow JSN,” Lenoir told reporters. “I’m ready for this. I hope he ready. Man to man coverage me and him. That’s what I want.”

San Francisco has shadowed receivers in the past, notably allowing Charvarius Ward to travel with some No. 1 receivers. But, will the 49ers actually do that on Saturday? Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh shed some light on the topic, revealing the challenges that shadowing a receiver provides.

“The reality is it’s easy for the guy who travels,” Saleh said about a corner shadowing a wide receiver. “I got that guy. I’m going to travel wherever I want. But, we’re a zone-based defense, right? So, if it was man coverage, easy for him, but then it is a little bit more difficult for the other guys. Like, how does everybody else align? Do you go match where everyone just picks a number? What if that number’s not on the field? Do you pick a different number? Or is it, alright, we’re all going to align off of DMo? And what if DMo’s in the slot? Does that put the nickel out on number one where he’s not used to being?

“So, techniques change within your man principles because now you’re in different locations. Alright, now put yourself in zone. You’re trying to match up where he is, and you’re matching up now DMo’s in the slot. Does that mean Upton [Stout’s] now playing corner third, which he hasn’t done all year? And so, there are a lot of new techniques that you’re going to ask a guy to do. It’s very expensive, not for the guy traveling, but for the guys not traveling, if that makes sense. Now, can it be done? Of course, it can be done. Do we have it in our inventory? Absolutely. Can we? Maybe. So, we’ll see.”

That’s a very detailed and understandable answer to Saleh, which explains why it’s so tough to shadow receivers. With how young and mistake-prone the 49ers defense has been, it probably doesn’t make sense to add even more responsibility in a game like Saturday’s. In addition, while Smith-Ngijba isn’t exclusively a slot receiver, the Seahawks may attack that matchup against Stout, as Lenoir is not a slot cornerback.

So, if he were to travel, that changes up a ton of things on the outside as well. The 49ers did a good job containing the Seahawks offense back in Week 1, but that was a long time ago and both teams have evolved since then. We’ll see what gameplan Saleh has, but it doesn’t seem like shadowing is in the cards.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...eommodore-lenoir-shadowing-jaxon-smith-ngijba

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers Poach Watch: Two front office executives could be names to watch for GM roles

Death, taxes, and the NFL poaching the San Francisco 49ers’ staff. These are absolutes in life. We’ve talked about how defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is a hot coaching candidate for 2026 ad nauseam, but Saleh isn’t the only one other teams may look for.

Albert Breer mentioned in his MMQB post on Friday that two 49ers executives were candidates for a general manager position in the 2026 hiring cycle. GM vacancies aren’t as prominent as head coach vacancies, but there should be a couple of spots opening up, as there are every year.

Breer had two tiers of candidates. There was “On the Doorstep,” which is a candidate he believes “will be in play” this hiring cycle. Next was his “Closing In” tier. Not exactly top-tier, but names with rising stock. Here you’ll find 49ers VP of player personnel Tariq Ahmad.

Having gotten his start as a recruiting staffer at Rutgers, Ahmad initially came to the Niners in Jim Harbaugh’s first year and has worked his way up since. Most of his experience has been on the college side, but of late he’s split his time on the college trail with also serving in-house on the pro side. A grinder, and a high-capacity, high-level thinker, his level of organization has those around him thinking he’d be a natural running his own shop. He’s one of a few guys who could get looks in the Niners scouting department (senior exec Ethan Waugh is another one, who could be seen in a different light given what the Jaguars team he helped build has done).

Ahmad’s career trajectory could match current Washington Commanders GM Adam Peters’. Peters came to the 49ers in the same role as Ahmad and was promoted to assistant GM in 2021 before he took the Commanders job in 2024. The 49ers had a great 2024 draft, and Ahmad definitely deserves some credit for it. The 2025 draft is also shaping up to be decent. Too bad the first pick got injured.

Ahmad wasn’t the only person listed. 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams also got the nod in the same tier:

Williams got to the NFL on the ground floor with the Jim Harbaugh Niners in 2011, and has been with the organization since. He was a pro scout first, then moved over to the college side, where he ascended into a national scout role in ’22. After that, the Columbia alum made a big jump into a director’s role where helps run the team’s pro and college scouting and player development departments, as well as its contract negotiations. He may still be a year or two away, though his ties to Mike McDaniel could give him a very real shot in Miami, should the Dolphins decide to go forward with McDaniel.

It’s interesting to note that both of these names got their start back in 2011 during Jim Harbaugh’s first year. That would mean they have seen both dysfunction (Trent Baalke) and cohesiveness (John Lynch), both within the front office and in their interactions with their coaching staffs. To be good at something, you have to see how bad someone is at it sometimes.

So what separates these two? Besides Ahmad being further up at the top of Breer’s list and Williams at the bottom? The biggest thing is that, as of this writing, Ahmad has his own Wikipedia page, while Williams doesn’t have one I could locate. If that truly is what separates the two, then there you go. In all seriousness, Williams has contract and scouting down, but might need to work on other areas to be in Ahmad’s realm.

Between these two, I do think Ahmad is the first to find a job, but Williams wouldn’t be far behind. When Peters left, there was some uncertainty, and Ahmad filled in admirably with the aforementioned 2024 draft class. Not only did he put together a stellar group of rookies, but he also made sure to get the correct reactions from fans for the picks as well, as illustrated by this video I made a few years back:

Happy Draft day. Let's make sure we as #49ers fans know the correct way to react when the San Francisco 49ers make draft pick pic.twitter.com/WLn0FNcuMb

— Patrick Holloway (@patoholloway) April 27, 2023

One thing to note is that good teams are the teams that the rest of the league wants to emulate. It seems like every year, the 49ers lose either a coach or a front office member to another team with a higher title. If the 49ers were a disaster, this would not be happening. This isn’t the first news we’ll have of up-and-comers, and it certainly won’t be the last.

While Kyle Shanahan deserves a ton of credit for the team’s success this year, the front office had to find the right players with the right mindset who could do things the way Shanahan wanted them to. Finding the correct talent is difficult; finding a player with the right mentality for the game is nigh impossible.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...ecutives-could-be-names-to-watch-for-gm-roles

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers playoff picture: What the loss to the Seahawks means for Wild Card weekend

The San Francisco 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday evening. The winner will earn a coveted bye week as the No. 1 seed in the playoff picture. The loser travels to Tampa Bay. Or Carolina. Perhaps Chicago. Maybe even Philadelphia.

Despite what happens Saturday night, it would not be a surprise to see the 49ers make a deep playoff run and play at Levi’s Stadium in the Super Bowl. Nor would it shock anybody to see them lose the first game. The same is true for every team in what feels like the most wide-open playoff field in a long time.

Here’s a look at the division standings as we head into Week 18. Many are of the mindset that the three best teams in the NFC all play in the same division.

NFC West standings​

Seattle Seahawks 14-3
San Francisco 49ers 12-5
Los Angeles Rams 11-5
Arizona Cardinals 3-13

Updated NFC playoff picture​

1. Seattle Seahawks 14-3
2. Chicago Bears 11-5
3. Philadelphia Eagles 11-5
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-9
5. San Francisco 49ers 12-5
6. Los Angeles Rams 11-5
7. Green Bay Packers 9-6-1
8. Carolina Panthers 8-9

If the 49ers win, they are the No. 1 seed.

If the 49ers lose and the Rams beat the Cardinals, Los Angeles gets the fifth seed. Both teams will have the same number of victories in the division. Since they split the head-to-head matchup, and the division games are even, the next tiebreaker is the win-loss record in common games.

The NFC West played the AFC and the NFC South. Each team beat the Titans, Colts, and Saints. The Rams lost to the Falcons and Panthers — two teams the 49ers beat. The Niners lost to the Texans and the Buccaneers — two teams the Rams beat. That leaves the Jaguars, who beat the 49ers but lost to the Rams.

The 49ers would need the Rams to lose to be the fifth seed if they fall to Seattle. Once we update this post tonight, we’ll lay out the scenarios of what Sunday means, if anything at all.

Kyle’s update, 4:45 p.m. PT: The Bucs win means the NFC South champion will come down to the winner of the Falcons-Saints game on Sunday. If Atlanta wins, the Panthers are in the playoffs. If New Orleans wins, Tampa Bay is headed to the playoffs. Whichever team makes the postseason from this division will be the fifth seed.

Kyle’s update, 7:45 p.m. PT: The 49ers are destined for the sixth seed, which was the case for much of the second half.

A Rams win on Sunday means the Niners are the sixth seed. A loss, and the Niners are the fifth seed.

If the Rams, Eagles, and Bears win, the 49ers will travel to Philadelphia.

If the Rams, Eagles, and Lions win, the 49ers will travel to Chicago.

Any Eagles loss would mean they’d lose the tiebreaker with the Bears and be the 3 seed.

Something to monitor and potentially root for is the off chance that the Niners get the fifth seed, they would have to play four games in under three weeks. I say that because the NFL is likely to make the NFC South winner play on Saturday, especially since both teams played on Saturday and will have a full week of rest.

Health-wise, an extra day could be the difference between Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall suiting up.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...eattle-seahawks-wild-card-seeding-tiebreakers

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

The 49ers loss to the Seahawks shows the No. 1 seed wasn’t meant to be

The San Francisco 49ers’ defense didn’t put up much of a fight on the first drive. The Seattle Seahawks picked up nine yards on the second play from scrimmage, then 20 yards on the third play. After getting Seattle into a 3rd & 4 situation, Sam Darnold had enough time to work to his fourth read to complete a 9-yard pass to former 49ers tight end, Eric Saubert.

Before you knew it, Seattle was in the red zone. It didn’t take long for the Seahawks to have a goal-to-go situation. Deommodore Lenoir begged for the Jaxon Smith-Njigba matchup. On the first target, Lenoir committed defensive pass interference.

That gave Seattle a 1st-and-goal from the one-yard line. Then, Darnold went full Darnold. He held the ball, and Tatum Bethune sacked Darnold for a loss of 11 yards. That would lead to a 3rd-and-goal, which never felt possible a couple of plays earlier. After a stop, Mike Macdonald elected to go for it on 4th & goal from the four. Upton Stout made the stop in coverage, and the defense got off the field without allowing any points.

The offense went three-and-out. Seattle’s first drive lasted seven minutes and 37 seconds. The 49ers’ drive lasted one minute and 15 seconds.

Garret Wallow grabbed a facemask on the punt, which meant Seattle would start their second drive from the Niners 35-yard line. On 3rd & 2, Zach Charbonnet cut it back against the grain and outran everybody for a 27-yard touchdown run to take an early 7-0 lead. Tatum Bethune overran the play, and that left nobody on the backside of the formation.

The 49ers did a good job of picking up a blitz on second down on their next drive, but nobody was open, and Brock Purdy was sacked. Jauan Jennings was short on third down. Purdy was lucky to avoid a sack once more, as Colton McKivitz was beaten. On 4th & 1, Kyle Shanahan elected to punt.

Punting assumed the defense would hold up. They had given Kyle Shanahan zero indication that they could get a stop. The Seahawks gained 20 and 12 yards on the first three plays.

For the first time in 27 quarters, the 49ers had failed to score. The offense had a pair of quick three-and-outs, and neither Christian McCaffrey nor George Kittle caught a pass. Seattle outgained the 49ers 125 to 16 in the first quarter.

On 2nd & 15, Smith-Njigba picked up the first down after Bethune missed an open field tackle. The 49ers’ defense ended up holding the Seahawks to a field goal attempt, thanks to a penalty and Upton Stout making a fantastic play on third down.

The voodoo for opposing kickers continued. Seattle missed a kick from 47 yards, which was the 10th on the season. The score remained 7-0.

McCaffrey picked up a first down on a reception. Purdy scrambled for ten yards on 3rd and long to make it 4th & 1. A long-developing play with downfield routes failed, and Purdy was left throwing to Kyle Juszczyk.

Smith-Njigba picked up 18 yards on first down. Dee Winters had a free run at Darnold on 3rd down, but missed. Darnold scrambled for a first down. To make matters worse, Winters had his calf stepped on. That meant the linebackers were Bethune, Kendricks, and Wallow. On 3rd & 6, Green and Ji’Ayir Brown broke up a pass intended for JSN, forcing a field goal. It was 10-0.

The 49ers tried to get Kittle involved to begin their fourth drive, but Nick Emmanwori sniffed out a screen that lost six yards on the play. Purdy, as he does, created something out of nothing on 3rd & 11 to find Jennings for a gain of 13 yards. Kittle picked up a first down on a play-action pass, and the offense was in Seattle territory by the 2-minute warning.

Shanahan elected to kick a field goal on 4th & 3 from the 30, which felt like the correct decision. Seattle didn’t have any timeouts remaining with just over a minute to play, and the 49ers would receive the opening kickoff to begin the second half. The defense ended up getting a stop, and it was 10-3 at the half.

The 49ers were getting outgained by 127 yards. They had three first downs compared to the Seahawks’ 12. They were only averaging 3.4 yards per play. And were somehow only down a touchdown.

It may have looked like Purdy was tentative in the first half, but there were no open receivers. Eventually, even without Williams and Pearsall, you thought the offense would come alive.

The defense did its part after a rough first quarter. Seattle ran for 16 yards on the first six carries of the half. They began the game with 99 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Demarcus Robinson made a nice catch along the sideline on a comeback route for 13 yards to give the offense a first down. The offense picked up a second first down on the drive, which was almost their total for the first half. But a sack on second down all but ended what looked to be a promising drive. For the third time, the 49ers would have to punt. They punted twice in the previous three weeks combined.

The defense continued to keep this game close. Malik Mustapha and Deommodore Lenoir came up with a pair of impressive tackles for losses to prevent Seattle from tacking on any points. After six drives, the defense held the Seahawks to one touchdown.

That put the pressure back on Purdy, who, up to this point, had been pressured on 43 percent of his dropbacks and took a season-high three sacks. On 3rd & 2, Purdy found Robinson for a gain of one yard. It was a three-and-out at an inopportune time.

It was bizarre watching an offense fail to generate any explosive plays. They had zero. To make matters worse, McCaffrey wasn’t on the field on that third down.

Darnold gave the defense an opportunity for their first turnover. He was stepped on, fumbled, and Yetur Gross-Matos couldn’t recover it. That wasn’t the biggest gut punch on the drive. On 3rd & 17, multiple missed tackles allowed Kenneth Walker to pick up 19 yards. Smith-Njigba picked up 19 after that. Charbonnet another 12. On 3rd & 9, Renardo Green committed a defensive pass interference. Seattle was still forced to settle for a field goal. Their 31-yard attempt was good, making it 13-3.

ESPN’s Field Yates said, “Can the offense wake up?” That was the real story of the game. We were beginning the fourth quarter, and the 49ers had 105 yards of offense without a red zone trip. Three points through three quarters.

The offense got the memo. Purdy found Kittle for 20 yards, then rushed for 11. After a pair of 10 and 16-yard passes, the 49ers had their first goal-to-go situation of the night. In what was an improbable outing by the offense, the next play summed up how the night went.

Purdy’s pass to McCaffrey was dropped and ricocheted into a Seattle defender’s hand for an interception. It was quite the turn of events. Instead of 13-10 with an opportunity to get the ball back, Seattle kept a two-possession lead and could chew up more clock.

Tatum Bethune went down with an injury, again, on the ensuing drive. Bethune had a groin injury. Without Bethune and Winters, that meant the 49ers defense had Kendricks and Wallow at linebacker —two linebackers who weren’t on the roster until around Thanksgiving.

Seattle converted one first down after another. After putting up a good fight, the defense looked like they were all out of bullets. Overall, it looked like a team playing their third game in two weeks.

The Seahawks made things interesting when they missed a field goal, but the 49ers were out of timeouts and needed a miracle. Purdy had only thrown for 127 yards, and 46 of those came on the previous drive. We knew the offense would miss Ricky Pearsall, but not to this level. It was the first time all season the offense looked inept.

Credit Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks for having the 49ers in a headlock all night. Tonight showed Seattle, at least without Trent Williams and Pearsall, was the better team.

We will see the 49ers next week in the Wild Card round. The road to Super Bowl LX will go through Seattle.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...eahawks-shows-the-no-1-seed-wasnt-meant-to-be

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

NFL playoff schedule: The 49ers will face the Eagles on Sunday

Now that the NFC playoff bracket is official, the San Francisco 49ers have their Wild Card weekend opponent set. Philadelphia losing to Washington means they are the 3-seed, and will host the Niners.

The last time these two teams faced each other, Deebo Samuel had a day to remember in Philadelphia, and the 49ers won 42-19. The Niners avenged their loss the year prior in the NFC Championship, when they played without a quarterback.

Week 18’s result wasn’t surprising, as the Eagles didn’t play their starters. If you’re the 49ers, don’t you take that personally? A team sits their starters, essentially telling them to forfeit a win so they can play you.

Some fans may have wanted the 49ers to get the fifth seed, as that would be the “easier” path against a lesser opponent. The schedule was the fascinating outcome. What day would the Niners play on? After all, this team had gone through the cycle of playing on Sunday, Monday, and Saturday night. An extra day of rest could be the difference in Trent Williams or Ricky Pearsall playing.

The NFL announced the playoff schedule, and the 49ers will play next Sunday, January 11, at 1:30 p.m. PT. So, San Francisco will get an extra day of rest after all.

Here’s a look at the playoff schedule:

Will the 49ers benefit from having the sixth seed instead of the fifth seed? Will it even matter? We will find out a week from today.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...agles-wild-card-round-brock-purdy-jalen-hurts

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

5 Winners and 5 Losers from the 49ers regular season finale

The San Francisco 49ers put up a stinker in the season finale against the Seattle Seahawks. It was a game that highlighted the discrepancy between the Jimmys and Joes on each team.

That statistic success rate, especially passing success rate, is one of the highest correlations to winning in the NFL. On Saturday night, the 49ers posted their lowest success rate since Kyle Shanahan became head coach.

The one thing the offense could hang its hat on was not having many negative plays. Unfortunately, they couldn’t generate many chunk plays, run the ball, or consistently get open.

Defensively, the tackling was sloppier than it’s been all season. Still, they did enough to keep the offense in the game. However, the opportunities to flip the game, such as recovering a fumble, weren’t taken advantage of. Eventually, the lack of talent showed when injuries set in, leading to the final score.

Let’s get into the winners and losers from Week 18.

Winners​

Offensive line​

It’s our job to buck any false narratives. Re-watching Week 18, there were maybe three plays where you noticed Trent Williams wasn’t on the field. One was on a screen where Austen Pleasants didn’t make it to the second level in time.

For the most part, the offensive line kept Seattle’s pass rush at bay. They played well enough to win, which is encouraging heading into the postseason.

The Niners’ offensive line generated a higher yards before contact (1.08) than the Seahawks’ offensive line (0.85). They also had a better rushing success rate, at 41.7, compared to 38.5.

Brock Purdy ended up being pressured on 34.4 percent of his dropbacks, good for 19th in Week 18. Four of those 11 came on the final two drives, and a few others were due to Purdy holding the ball because nobody was open.

There were a couple of back-breaking missed blocks, like Colton McKivitz whiffing on fourth down, but as a whole, the offensive line wasn’t the reason the offense stalled consistently on Saturday night.

Eric Kendricks​

Kendricks ended up playing 36 of the 69 snaps after Dee Winters ended up leaving with a calf injury. It’s officially an ankle injury for Winters. Kendricks looked like the type of player the 49ers need on this side of the ball. He was aggressive, didn’t miss any tackles, was getting the defensive line lined up correctly, and was excellent in coverage. You wouldn’t think it would be difficult, but Robert Saleh needs to find a way to get Kendricks on the field during the postseason. He looked like he belonged on the field.

Kendricks will get his chance in the Wild Card round with Tatum Bethune out. Despite playing only 52 percent of the snaps, Kendricks finished with a pair of run stops. He took on blocks in the run like you’d expect a middle linebacker to. It was an encouraging sign for a player who hadn’t played football in a year.

His awareness in coverage and knack for getting to routes that Bethune didn’t will end up being a blessing in disguise.

Sam Okuayinonu and Keion White​

White and Okuayinonu led the team in pressure rate. Each one of those pressures impacted the play. White had a win as a pass rusher one play after a tackle for loss.

Sam O had a sack before halftime that likely saved three points. His impact was felt in the run game, where he had three stops. Okuayinonu also had a quarterback hit.

Clelin Ferrell made a couple of plays, so perhaps we should give the trio of edge rushers credit. Unfortunately, the play from the rest of the defensive line wasn’t up to par, effectively erasing the good from these three.

One thing is for certain: Sam O and Keion White are legitimate role players the 49ers can rely on next season.

Upton Stout​

I’d argue Stout ended up as the most consistent player in the secondary in December. It was a strong finish to a rookie season, and Stout did not disappoint in Week 18.

The lack of speed on this defense sticks out like a sore thumb, so when you see Stout closing in to make tackles from 10 yards away, you can’t help but be impressed.

Stout finished with three run stops, which was tied for a team high. He only allowed two yards in coverage on three targets, and had a pair of critical tackles on third down to force field goals. Stout is a quality building block on this defense.

During Monday’s conference call, Shanahan said, “I thought it might be his best game of the year. He had an awesome game,” of Stout.

IDK​

Brock Purdy​

Purdy finished 19-for-27 for only 127 yards. It was like 2024 all over again. We got to evaluate Purdy without Trent Williams or a credible WR1.

When the margin for error is razor-thin, as it was in Week 18 for the 49ers offense, your quarterback has to be flawless. Purdy was not. In the game preview, we talked about how there would be 3-5 chances for the offense to take a shot when Seattle was in Cover 2.

On the throw where it looked like Jauan Jennings may have gotten hurt again on a shallow crossing route, the design was a shot in the Cover 2 hole. Purdy didn’t take it. The intended target was George Kittle. He was open.

There was another play where Purdy ran into a sack on a play-action pass, where Kittle was open once again. Instead of setting his feet to throw, Purdy tried to climb the pocket, but to no avail.

Early in the game, Purdy missed Christian McCaffrey on a swing route. On 3rd & 2 to Demarcus Robinson, his pass floated and took Robinson basically behind the line of scrimmage. The throw needed to be on a line and lead Robinson up the field. If it were, the offense stays on the field, and maybe that first down turns into points.

Purdy has been excellent for a month. I don’t think he played poorly. His mobility is still a weapon. His receivers didn’t do him any favors. But Purdy also didn’t elevate the talent around him, which is why the result ended up being what it was.

Losers​

Tackling​

Bethune: 5

Winters: 4

Mustapha: 3

Brown: 2

Lenoir: 2

Kendricks: 1

YGM: 1

CJ West: 1

Huff: 1

Stout: 1

Wallow: 1

Collins: 1

Good luck getting off the field when you miss 23 tackles. That’s not a coaching issue. In no scenario can your linebackers combine to miss 11 tackles and you expect to win. Not all missed tackles are created equal, but the Seahawks had a total of 272 yards after contact.

The receivers​

Ricky Pearsall’s impact was greatly missed in this contest. Purdy had five attempts over 10 yards. Only one of those was an outright win by a wide receiver. The 49ers wideouts are slowwww.

When you step up in competition, you can see who belongs and who doesn’t. Kendrick Bourne didn’t stand a chance of getting open on his 17 routes. Jauan Jennings had 35 yards on six targets. His lack of a second gear really hampered the passing game. Demarcus Robinson can run, but he’s not a technical wideout, limiting his route tree.

To beat the Seahawks, you need an ace in the hole. Somebody like, I don’t know, Brandon Aiyuk. Pearsall is the kind of wideout whom Purdy trusts, so he’s willing to take more chances with him. It looked like Brock didn’t throw with his usual anticipation on in-breaking routes due to a lack of trust.

My biggest overreaction from this game is that the 49ers need a wide receiver, perhaps more than any other position, if they are going to beat an elite defense like the Seahawks.

Jacob Cowing will improve the team’s speed.

Tatum Bethune​

Unfortunately, Bethune will miss the rest of the season with a groin injury. He had a hell of a season, all things considered.

Bethune’s best quality is his aggressiveness as a run defender. I’d say for the first time, he looked like a seventh-round pick. Bethune led the team in missed tackles, as generally late to get to the spot of the ball-carrier. When he did get there, he’d get washed out by the block. He was not his usual aggressive self.

The passing game was the bigger issue. I’m willing to forgive Renardo Green for allowing 76 yards in coverage, knowing most of those came against one of the best wide receivers in the game. However, Bethune giving up play after play in underneath coverage was concerning. His lack of a feel for what was about to develop or the passing concept proved to be the death knell for the defense.

There was one play where Cooper Kupp ran an underneath route. Bethune saw the play happen, but couldn’t get his eyes out of the backfield. That resulted in a first down. On another, Bethune kept drifting toward the sideline, despite there being no eligible receivers over there. He opened up a passing window for Seattle to pick up another first down.

Bethune was never supposed to be in this situation, so credit him for giving the 49ers everything he had this season. At some point, the “next man up” will get exposed. That happened in Week 18.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...5-losers-from-the-49ers-regular-season-finale

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Injury updates: Tatum Bethune will miss the playoffs; Fred Warner could return if the 49ers win twice

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced linebacker Tatum Bethune will miss the postseason after suffering a significant groin injury in Week 18 against the Seattle Seahawks. Shanahan said Bethune might need surgery for the tear.

Linebacker Dee Winters, who appeared to have gotten his calf stepped on, has an ankle injury, and Luke Gifford, who has a quad injury, will be evaluated as the week goes on.

Eric Kendricks will take over for Bethune as the starter. He played well in Week 18 and was arguably the 49ers’ best defensive player.

As for Fred Warner, the 49ers are eyeing a potential return in the NFC Championship, if they can make it that far. That would bethe time when the 49ers would open Warner’s practice window.

So, until then, it’ll be Kendricks playing MIKE linebacker, and Garrett Wallow or Curtis Robinson filling in for Winters at WILL if he can’t suit up. Then, if Gifford can’t play, the other linebacker between Wallow or Robinson would play SAM linebacker.

Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall will be evaluated throughout the week. Pearsall reaggravated his PCL, per Shanahan.

Jacob Cowing’s practice window will open. He’ll practice on Wednesday. This past offseason, Shanahan said, “I thought Jake had one of the best OTAs out of anybody on our team, in terms of the most improved and the most prepared.”

Brock Purdy checked out OK after a left shoulder stinger.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...ed-warner-could-return-if-the-49ers-win-twice

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers trade compensation with the Eagles for Bryce Huff is now official

The San Francisco 49ers’ defense could look a lot different down the middle this Sunday after they lost another linebacker for the season due to an injury.

One of the most reliable defenders for the Niners this season was acquired this offseason by their Wild Card opponent. Bryce Huff was not a scheme fit for Vic Fangio’s defense. At sub-260 pounds, Huff is not a player you can play on every down and expect to hold up against the run.

Huff ended up playing 272 snaps for the Eagles in 2024. That number nearly doubled with the 49ers in 2025, as Huff played just over 50 percent of the snaps for Robert Saleh during the regular season.

The 49ers were desperate for pass rush opposite Nick Bosa. So this offseason, Robert Saleh had no issue convincing the front office that one of his former players who thrived in his scheme was worth trading for.

The 49ers traded a fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Huff. That pick could have turned into a fourth-rounder, under the condition that Huff had eight sacks in 2025.

Huff looked well on his way to surpassing that total during the first two months of the season. He had two sacks in the first three games. Then, Nick Bosa, the player with one of the strongest gravitational pulls of any defensive linemen in the NFL, was lost for the season due to a torn ACL.

Huff had a sack in Weeks 5 and 7, bringing his total to four in the first seven games. Unfortunately, that would be the final sack Huff recorded all season.

While the sack total hasn’t changed since before Halloween, Huff’s pressure numbers took off during the second half of the season. He had four sacks in the first seven weeks, but failed to record a quarterback hit. He missed Weeks 8 and 9 after suffering a hamstring injury. Per Sports Info Solutions, Huff had 17 quarterback hits from Week 10 on.

So, the trade is official. Bryce Huff, with a cap number of $7.9 million in 2025 and the option to get out of his contract without eating any dead money after the season, in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Big picture, the trade made sense from a scheme fit and financial perspective.

The trade has come full circle, as Huff will have the opportunity to prove something against the team that didn’t think he was playable this Sunday.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...ith-the-eagles-for-bryce-huff-is-now-official

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers sign former Cardinals linebacker ahead of playoff matchup against the Eagles

The San Francisco 49ers are adding a linebacker after news that Tatum Bethune would miss the playoffs with a groin injury. The team is signing linebacker Kyzir White, per Jordan Schultz.

Let’s boogie https://t.co/RCfhQixPWb

— Kyzir (@KyzirWhite8) January 6, 2026

White mutually agreed to part ways with the Tennessee Titans on December 2. He’s been a free agent since. A hamstring injury limited White to 20 snaps this season.

White played 93.6 percent of the snaps for the Arizona Cardinals in 2024, starting in every game. He had 137 tackles, 63 run stops, and 22 quarterback pressures, good for a 20 percent pressure rate. He didn’t miss a snap for the Cardinals in 2023 before landing on the Injured Reserve after tearing his biceps in November 2023.

At 29, White is experienced and has seen a lot of football in this league. We will see what he brings to the table for the 49ers, who are extremely thin at linebacker.

Bethune isn’t the only linebacker banged up. Fred Warner and rookie Nick Martin are on the Injured Reserve and aren’t an option in the Wild Card round. Dee Winters has an ankle injury that the team will evaluate throughout the week. Luke Gifford has a quad injury that will also be evaluated throughout the week.

Kyle Shanahan said, “It could be Garret Wallow, it could be Curtis Robinson,” when asked who would play the weakside spot if Winters doesn’t suit up. Both of those players are lifetime special teamers. You can’t go into a playoff game relying on inexperience and expecting to get away with it.

White’s ability to rush the passer and make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage makes him an intriguing option. White played on the weakside in the one game he appeared in with the Titans this season. He tackled Jonathan Taylor from a standstill for a two-yard gain, stopping Taylor in his tracks. He also missed a tackle pursuing Taylor, which led to a 46-yard touchdown. White played on special teams in that game, too.

Adding White might be more about keeping Wallow and Robinson off the field. Both looked out of their depth in limited action. The question for White is how much of Robert Saleh’s scheme he can digest during the week to give the coaching staff enough confidence to play him? Having a veteran like Eric Kendricks by his side should help with the learning curve, as should White’s 8 years of experience.

The only other option on the roster at the position is on the practice squad. The 49ers used Jalen Graham in Week 13 when their hand was forced by injury, but the former 7th-round pick has mainly been a special-teamer when he’s been active.

White had an interception, a tackle for loss, and a pair of pressures against the 49ers in Week 5 of the 2024 regular season. He added a couple of tackles for loss in their meaningless Week 18 matchup. In 2023, White had seven tackles in the one game he played against the Niners. So, the 49ers have enough firsthand experience in recent years to gauge what kind of player they are getting with White.

Per the transaction white, the 49ers also worked out linebacker Milo Eifler. Eifler hasn’t played in the NFL since 2022, when he recorded two tackles. The 49ers elected for experience.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...r-ahead-of-playoff-matchup-against-the-eagles

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

One matchup will especially be key for the 49ers versus the Eagles

The San Francisco 49ers will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday, with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m. PT at Lincoln Financial Field.

San Francisco is coming off a tough 13-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks that cost them a chance at the No. 1 seed and relegated them to a road game in the wildcard round as the No. 6 seed. In the loss, the 49ers really struggled in all facets offensively. The protection had its ups and downs against a tough Seattle front; the wide receivers couldn’t get much separation, and Brock Purdy couldn’t elevate an offense missing its left tackle and top wideout.

The protection was a big talking point as the 49ers were without Trent Williams in the loss. What did Kyle Shanahan see from his offensive line on Saturday?

“Yeah, it was a tough game, and we knew it would be going into it. There were a couple of times, especially that last third down, there were a few times that they got edges on our tackles,” Shanahan said about the offensive line. “The fourth-and-one was a big one, and the last third down was a big one. But, I also think they had a number of plays where they did give us time, but we didn’t take advantage of those, didn’t score on those drives. Going against a defense like that, you are going to have some bad plays, which they did. But, by no means were they not up for the challenge on other plays, also.”

Overall, the head coach felt the 49ers just made too many mistakes.

“The game tape was very much what we expected to see,” Shanahan continued. “We knew we had a big challenge, and we thought we had to play at our best, and we didn’t play at our best. Give credit to them for that. I thought we made too many mistakes, which,h when you’re in the situations we are, there’s not much room for those mistakes. I thought we got some stuff going a little bit more later.

“You talk about the O-Line and stuff, that one drive that we got into the three before we turned it over, those are seven-step drops, really putting a lot of pressure on them to try to get those plays. We were able to get those all the way down there, but then have the turnover on the three. But it just wasn’t clean enough football to beat a good team like that. And we know we can play cleaner.”

It’s a bit of a different matchup now for the offensive line, as they face a Philadelphia defensive front this weekend that has been well-rounded this season. But, they’ve been more middle-of-the-pack when it comes to sack rate and defending the run.

After the game, Shanahan had said Williams would’ve had a ‘much better chance’ to play if the game was on Sunday, but we’ll see how he rests up this week to suit up in Philadelphia. Regardless, the 49ers will need to open up the run, and the game could very well be decided by this matchup.

Williams didn’t practice on Wednesday, but will have an extra day of rest with the 49ers playing on Sunday. In a recent sit-down with Pro Football Talk, Purdy explained the importance of having Williams against the Eagles:

“It’ll be huge. Just what he brings to the table for our offense. Austen did a great job of stepping in, but Trent is a Hall of Famer. Just his presence in the run game, the pass game, you can feel him out there. And his leadership in the locker room and stuff too. He’s a guy that everyone gets behind, and we follow his lead. To have him back for the playoffs is going to be huge.”

Coming off an up-and-down week, we’ll see if the 49ers’ offensive line can stabilize on Sunday.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...cially-be-key-for-the-49ers-versus-the-eagles

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Golden Nuggets: Fingers crossed for a better practice report today

With 49ers’ Trent Williams, Ricky Pearsall not practicing, could they play vs. Eagles? (paywall)
“Perhaps even more surprising was the inactivity of Pearsall, listed as a limited practice participant all of last week. Shanahan said he did not aggravate the injured posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which has sidelined him for eight games this season, during practices last week. Pearsall is apparently still dealing with the aggravation he suffered against the Bears, which he played through to finish with five catches for 85 yards.”

Can Shanahan’s 49ers beat his history vs. Fangio defenses in Eagles wild-card matchup? (paywall)
“In the spring of 2022, when Vic Fangio was a season removed from being fired as the Broncos head coach and Kyle Shanahan was thinking about his staff for the next season, the San Francisco 49ers head coach hosted Fangio for several offseason practices in Santa Clara.

Fangio was taking a year off from coaching. And Shanahan was correctly anticipating that his defensive coordinator, DeMeco Ryans, would land a head-coaching job after the 2022 season. That made Fangio’s practice visits, in effect, recruiting visits: Shanahan wanted to make the long-decorated coordinator who was often in the Bay Area to visit his girlfriend the next overseer of his defense.

“I wanted to be prepared,” Shanahan said. “And Vic and I were talking about that stuff a lot and hoping that could possibly work out if we did change or get a new coordinator. But I remember the day — the morning of our (NFC Championship Game) versus (the Eagles) — he signed with Miami.”…Brendel knows from first-hand experience after he spent more than four months with the Broncos in the 2019 offseason when Fangio was Denver’s head coach. Brendel said Fangio’s brilliance is in his ability to exploit offensive weaknesses and adjust his scheme on a game-to-game basis.

“He’ll look at everything possible to study on an offense, and he’ll look at every possible reason why your offense didn’t work or it did work,” Brendel said. “And then he’ll try to (tailor) his play-calling and his scheme that week based on that … Playing him, you’ve got to be ready for everything because he really can give you a Rolodex of stuff.”

After Christian McCaffrey’s historic workload, can 49ers expect his best vs. Eagles? (paywall)
“McCaffrey is 29. And at 5-11 and 210, he might be the smallest high-touches guy in recent league history, slightly smaller than another three-time touches leader, LaDainian Tomlinson.

The case could be made with stats that McCaffrey is wearing down as the season progresses. In the loss Saturday to the Seahawks, he carried eight times for 23 yards and caught six passes for 34 yards, his lowest total yardage game of the season.

And there was the Bobble, when a Brock Purdy pass deflected at the line of scrimmage bounced out of McCaffrey’s hands and into the hands of a defender, a deal-sealing interception for the Seahawks.

McCaffrey, typically, took full blame. Even though he had to reach low and behind him to get his hands on the ball. Even though in his nine-season career, McCaffrey has lost only five fumbles, none this year.

Seems fair to give McCaffrey a pass on that bobble, but it’s clear that for the 49ers to beat the Eagles, they’ll need him to be his vintage self. Against Seattle he had just 14 touches, well below his season average of 24.3. That was partly because the Seahawks hogged the ball and the clock.

Also worth noting: His three poorest games this year, in yards per touch, came in the final five games.“

Bucky Brooks: Why the Eagles are the 49ers’ best playoff matchup
“”This is probably the best matchup the Niners could have, because offensively, the Philadelphia Eagles, for lack of a better word, have been yuck,” Brooks said. “They’ve been terrible on offense. They’re bad to watch. They’re not exciting. I mean, this offense is—I watched them play against the Bills a couple weeks ago, and I think they had 19 yards in the second half. They cannot move the football.”

“So, if you’re the Niners and you think about, ‘Man, if we can just somehow run out to a 14-point lead,’ do the Eagles have enough to get back in it?” Brooks said. “Whether it’s [QB] Jalen Hurts throwing, [WR] A.J. Brown, [WR] DeVonta Smith, whoever they have on the perimeter—[RB] Saquon Barkley hasn’t been the same—they are not a group that is together. And that lack of chemistry and cohesion could come back to bite them.”

Kyle Shanahan previews 49ers-Eagles Wild Card matchup
“I think WR Jacob Cowing’s going practice today. Obviously, you guys liked him in the Draft process. He had two good college stints. What do you like about him and is there any chance he could go this week or is that all for next year?

“Yeah, I doubt it. We really like Jake. We liked what we drafted and we loved what we got from him last year when he was available. But, he got hurt the first day of training camp and really hasn’t been able to string together many days since then. So, we’ve got him for three weeks so I’d say there’s a chance to get him back in and see what happens over these three weeks. But, for a guy to not have any practice throughout camp or this regular season, I think it’d be a little unrealistic for this week.”

49ers find Spencer Burford replacement in 2026 NFL mock draft
“Penn State offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane (6-4, 323) posted strong grades from Pro Football Focus during the 2025 season, including a 79.4 overall offensive grade, a 77.9 run-blocking grade, and an 87.3 pass-blocking grade. He allowed just four total pressures and zero sacks across 310 pass-blocking snaps, with his last allowed sack coming in 2023.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...d-first-round-injury-questionable-brock-purdy

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Robert Saleh says newly-signed linebacker ‘good to go’ vs. Eagles

The San Francisco 49ers have been dealing with injuries all season long and got two crucial ones in their Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks as Tatum Bethune suffered a season-ending groin injury, while Dee Winters left with an ankle injury.

Winters hasn’t practiced in the first two days of the week ahead of the 49ers’ wildcard matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, and his status seems to be in doubt for the weekend.

So, that could mean the 49ers are onto their LB4 and LB5 in a must-win game on Sunday, and they’ll need some more depth. That’s why the team signed veteran linebacker Kyzir White to the practice squad earlier this week, and he could see immediate action this weekend.

San Francisco currently has only Eric Kendricks, Garrett Wallow, and Curtis Robinson as healthy linebackers on the roster right now. Luke Gifford was limited in practice on Wednesday, while Winters has now missed back-to-back days of practice, so White could even see defensive snaps this weekend.

How has he come along this week?

“He’s got familiarity with the system,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said about White. “He was with [assistant] Gus [Bradley] over at the Chargers, and I remember him coming out. We were hoping he’d get to the fifth, and the Chargers took him in the fourth, but one of those prototypical safeties that you could convert to a linebacker. He’s had a hell of a career for himself. And he’s ready to go. He knows our system too, so he can step in if needed to and give us minutes.”

White isn’t the only linebacker recently signed off the team, as San Francisco also added Eric Kendricks to the practice squad in late November. He played in three games for the 49ers to end the regular season, making one start.

Does anything chemistry-wise have to change with the new linebackers in the fold?

“Yeah. I think [synergy and chemistry matter],” Saleh said when asked about Kendricks and White. “Just communication, how they’re going to play different things, how they’re going to play different route concepts, the trust that someone’s going to be in an area when you’re trying to create an exchange based on coverages. But they’re two very experienced players. They’ve played a lot of football, and you trust that they’ll have it all figured out.”

A big key for the 49ers this weekend will be tackling after they had a very ugly display against the Seahawks last weekend. A part of that could be the lack of rest, as the 49ers were going off back-to-back short weeks, but they still need to be much better in that department. The linebackers will have to pick up the slack there after accounting for most of the misses last week.

“It definitely is a tough stretch, not to give anybody an out, because you’re also talking three nationally televised games with the emotions and all that stuff. But, it doesn’t matter,” Saleh said when asked about the missed tackles. “Your number is called, you’ve got to answer the bell, and it’s as simple as just taking the proper angles and taking the extra step.

“Could you say that God, your body, you’re a little tired, so you’re missing the extra step to get your body there? Sure. But it’s still not an excuse. We’ve got to be our best when our best is required, and we just weren’t that at on Sunday.”

We’ll see how much Kendricks and White play this weekend, but the 49ers are in a unique spot with their linebackers being potentially down their top three guys (Fred Warner, Bethune, and Winters) against the Eagles.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...h-kyzir-white-ready-to-go-philadelphia-eagles

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

How one 49ers rookie has become team’s most improved player

The San Francisco 49ers defense was expected to have its ups and downs this season, as they entered the year with several rookies earning key snaps, including first-round pick Mykel Williams, second-round pick Alfred Collins, third-round pick Upton Stout, and fifth-round pick Marques Sigle.

Things have fizzled out from there, as Williams tore his ACL, ending his rookie season. Sigle was benched in favor of Malik Mustapha and Ji’Ayir Brown when Mustapha returned from injury. Collins has become a regular, though, after getting eased in to start the season. And Stout might be the team’s most improved defender.

As a Day 1 starting nickel corner for the 49ers, Stout had his learning moments early in the season, getting targeted quite often in the slot as teams looked to try and take advantage of his inexperience. But, the rookie has continued to grow and been one of the team’s better defenders over the last few weeks of the season, both in the run game and in coverage.

Stout, who has been San Francisco’s most-targeted cornerback this season, has especially been good over the last three weeks of the season, not allowing a penalty after allowing eight over the first 15 weeks of the year.

In coverage, he’s been pretty solid, allowing seven catches over the three weeks on 12 targets, for 82 yards. Here were his three stat lines, according to PFF:

Week 16 @ Indianapolis: 4 catches allowed on 8 targets, 45 yards allowed, 3 forced incompletions, 2 pass breakups, 5.9 yards average depth of target, two run stops

Week 17 vs. Chicago: 1 catch allowed on 2 targets, 27 yards allowed, 16 yards average depth of target, got injured during game

Week 18 vs. Seattle: 2 catches allowed on 3 targets, 3 yards allowed, 0 yards average depth of target, 3 run stops

He’s arguably been the most consistent cornerback for San Francisco over the stretch run. What has Robert Saleh seen from his rookie in terms of improvement?

“For Upton, it’s just reps,” Saleh said on Thursday. “Anytime a rookie, especially a guy who plays his play style, the violence at which he plays, it’s more just getting reps and starting to feel the game and understanding where he needs to put his body and all the techniques that we’re asking.

“I’ve always said, a coach’s job is to give a player a three-foot, a little foundation to stand on, something rock solid that he can count on play-in and play-out. It’s a player that’s going to expand that, along with reps and coaching, just bringing more awareness to what he’s being asked out of all his different techniques, how can he expand that foundation so he can stretch the limits of what he’s capable of? And Upton has done that week after week after week.”

Even with the growth Stout has shown, Saleh believes there’s much more to come from the rookie after his best game of the season against the Seattle Seahawks.

“I still don’t even think he’s close to done,” Saleh continued. “I think he’s got so much left in the tank. He’s learning so much every single week. And it’s been good for him. I’ll echo what Kyle [Shanahan] said. I do think he had his best game on Saturday night. Every day goes together, but he showed his violence in the flat on a big tight end. He knocked a couple O-Linemen on their backs or shed them at least, threw them to the ground. He’s a good little player, man. He is going to be good in this league for a while.”

Head coach Kyle Shanahan praised Stout multiple times this week, believing that last weekend’s game was his best as a pro.

“I think he’s playing [well],” Shanahan said. “I thought he had his best game last week, and I think he’s had a number of real good games. But, we’ve been excited since Stout’s gotten here, and I thought he’s had a really good rookie year.”

The 49ers will need to travel on the road and beat the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend to continue their season. To do so, they’ll have to find a way to limit Philadelphia’s offense, which has been inconsistent this season, and Stout’s play, both in the run game and against Devonta Smith in the passing game, will be important for that effort.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...st-improved-player-robert-saleh-kyle-shanahan

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Golden Nuggets: Win it for Fred

Kawakami: Kittle next to McCaffrey — the heart of the 49ers’ locker room culture (paywall)
“When I asked Bethune for an example of some wise words he’s received from Kittle or McCaffrey, he couldn’t wait to tell me.

“I remember Christian told me not to eat right before I go to sleep because your body can’t digest it, sleep and recovery at the same time,” Bethune said.

Have you followed that advice, Tatum? “Oh yeah,” Bethune said, in a tone that suggested that ignoring some McCaffrey advice would be stunningly stupid.

Morstead, meanwhile, had a more veteran viewpoint of life next to two superstars.“

Veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks becoming comfortable in new role with 49ers
““I don’t know what I envisioned,” Kendricks said on Wednesday. “I took a leap of faith, as far as the organization was concerned. I just had a gut feeling. I didn’t want to jump on anything too early that didn’t feel quite right.

“I didn’t play for a whole, so nothing really felt right. I got this opportunity, and it felt right…

NFL playoffs: Key matchups to watch in each NFC wild-card game (paywall)
“Jalen Hurts hasn’t run as much on designed runs and scrambles, which has hurt the Eagles shotgun running game, so they’ve run the ball more from under center, where they get most of their explosive rushes. However, they don’t pass much from under center (30th in dropbacks from under center), which makes them predictable.

Last season, the Eagles only had one game under 100 rushing yards, in Week 18, when they rested their starters. This season, they’ve had nine games under 100. Notably, they struggled to run the ball against some of the league’s worst run defenses, such as the Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys. As mentioned, the 49ers run defense has struggled in the last few weeks, but it has a shot at stopping the Eagles run game. The Bills did so by confusing their blocking schemes with line games and run blitzes, and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh did the same to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18 after getting gashed on the ground early in the game. Still, anytime you have Saquon Barkley in the backfield, the threat of the big run always looms.

The Eagles faced the seventh-highest rate of two-deep safeties, which limited Hurts’ ability to throw outside to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Despite all the two-high shells they faced, they struggled to run the ball consistently. 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir has struggled as of late, and Renardo Green is just coming back from injury. If the 49ers are forced to play one-high coverage because of the run, it’ll be a lot to ask Lenoir and Green to cover Brown and Smith one-on-one, especially with their nonexistent pass rush. With right tackle Lane Johnson possibly returning from injury, it’ll be even more difficult to get to Hurts and make the run game a bigger threat.

Although Saleh is a single-high coach, he has shown a willingness to go to two-deep coverages in certain games, as he did early against the Seahawks. With the star receivers that the Eagles have on the outside and their inconsistencies running the ball, the better choice should be to start the game in two-high and see if you can disrupt the run game without an extra defender in the box.“

49ers LT Trent Williams returns to practice; LB Fred Warner runs on side field (paywall)
“Williams was officially questionable but ultimately did not suit up Saturday as the 49ers lost to the Seahawks, and with it, the No. 1 seed. He and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall’s availability to play the Eagles on Sunday in Philadelphia remains TBD.”

49ers rookie Upton Stout playing his best ball for a defense in need of a bright spot (paywall)
“Late Wednesday morning, Upton Stout could be found seated at the edge of his locker, an iPad in one hand and a notebook in the other. His rounds of media interviews had just concluded. There were more than usual after the San Francisco 49ers rookie nickel back played perhaps the best game of his young career the previous week. Soon enough, Stout sank away from the cameras and recorders to review some film. The southpaw meticulously penciled and erased notes, unhurried and unbothered, in a manner that seemed to mirror his approach to the season.

The Niners drafted Stout in April with hopes he could play right away in September. Opponents took advantage. But he kept his cool.

“Realizing you can’t be great on everybody else’s time,” Stout told the Chronicle in October. “Walking around the locker room, I see a lot of great players but, like, how long did it take them to be great?….Growing up the way I grew up, and just being in situations in high school, realizing you can’t be that size, you can’t be that small,” Stout said this week. “So just knowing my strengths and weaknesses … I try to maneuver through as much wiggle room as I could.”

The night before every game, Stout tries to visualize who he wants to be the next day, based on what film study during the week revealed about himself. Early struggles presumably muddled that process. Having very little of his own Niners tape to study did not help in the opening stages of his rookie campaign.

But watching his mistakes back eventually helped Stout course correct, in time for his first career playoff game.

(paywall)

Ravens request interview with 49ers’ Robert Saleh for head coaching gig
“The request brings the total number of teams interested in Saleh to four. The Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, and Atlanta Falcons have also asked to speak with the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.”

Why 49ers DC Robert Saleh supports Eagles’ controversial ‘tush push’ play
““I’m for it,” Saleh said on Thursday. “I think if you do something good, and the rest of the league hates on it, that’s a good thing, right?

“They’ve mastered it. If it was easy to do, every team in the league would be doing it. Teams that have tried to duplicate it struggle.”…..So how can the 49ers best defend the Eagles in short-yardage situations? Saleh said the most effective answer is to take care of business on first and second downs.

“I’m for keeping it, but as far as stopping it, we’ll give it our best shot and see what happens,” Saleh said. “The best way to stop it is to not give them third and 1.”

Saleh, Kubiak, Purdy preview 49ers-Eagles Wild Card matchup
Are you saying that in a short week, you can’t have that full Thursday big practice that you typically have?

“Yeah. You’re thinking about your guys and they’re coming off a game a few days ago, and are you going to make them go out there and run full speed and are you going to put them through the normal Thursday practice routine? And we have to make decisions about whether we’re going to prioritize rest and getting our guys legs or prioritize full-speed reps. And last week for sure, it was one where we looked at, our guys need rest, they need to get their legs back. And so, you sacrifice the full-speed practice reps.”

How much more preparation can you get done when you have eight days between games as opposed to six?

“You can get more done. I think a lot of it comes down to is your brain kind of re-energizing a little bit too and getting that extra day to kind of okay, digest the game, wipe it and then get two full days of game planning, to me, is always helpful. You can really study the defense and then come back the next day and just have a real clear mind about what you want to do. When you’re packing it into one day, you’re jamming it all in there. And so, it’s different. It’s better to have more time. But, that’s the NFL. Every team faces that every week. Everyone’s always going to have short weeks. You deal with it and we’ve got to play better. It’s just not an excuse.”

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...t-availability-questionable-outside-zone-runs

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

The 49ers received good news on the injury front with Trent Williams today

After not practicing on Wednesday, San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams was on hand during Thursday’s session.

Williams hasn’t played since the first snap of Week 17 when he injured his hamstring. After getting nearly two weeks of rest, it’s a good sign that Williams is testing out his injury, especially after Kyle Shanahan was unsure of his future status on Wednesday.

How important is Trent Williams to the 49ers? They had the third-highest outside zone rate in the NFL. Last week was the first time all season the offense didn’t have a rush at or outside of the tackles. Week 8 was the last time they had single-digit outside zone attempts. It’s tough to quantify how much Williams means to what the 49ers can do offensively.

No. 71 at #49ers practice. https://t.co/YVgIAzLU4E pic.twitter.com/SKfHo854sd

— Noah Furtado (@_noahfurtado) January 8, 2026

Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was also seen jogging on the side of the field:

#49ers LT Trent Williams (hamstring) is on the field and in uniform during early open portion of Thursday’s practice.

WR Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) working on a side field but in a jersey, for what that’s worth. pic.twitter.com/wRFBLgXewd

— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) January 8, 2026

Pearsall being in a jersey is notable, as the reporters leave after 15-20 minutes. That’s a sign that Pearsall will practice, or at least test out his knee and ankle injuries once the media leaves.

Linebackers Dee Winters and Luke Gifford were not seen practicing, nor was Keion White. Winters would be a big loss, given his replacements weren’t on the roster until Thanksgiving-ish. But White would be a crushing blow to a defensive line that has little depth or pass-rush help on the edge. White has been relatively productive in Yetur Gross-Matos’s absence.

The media also saw Fred Warner doing sprints on the side and some workouts. The 49ers need to win to give Warner a chance to play next week.

When Robert Saleh spoke with the media on Thursday, he said Eric Kendricks and Garret Wallow were starting at linebacker.

Here’s the official injury report:

Did not participate:

LB Luke Gifford (quad)

WR Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle)

Edge rusher Keion White (groin/hamstring)

LB Dee Winters (ankle)

Gifford was downgraded from limited to a DNP.

Limited:

DT Jordan Elliott (knee)

TE George Kittle (ankle)

Edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)

LT Trent Williams (hamstring)

Two players didn’t practice for the Eagles on Thursday. They were guards Landon Dickerson and Brett Toth. Tight end Grant Calcaterra, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, tight end Dallas Goedert, and offensive tackler Lane Johnson were all limited participants.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...lliams-ricky-pearsall-keion-white-dee-winters