News 49ers Team Notes

[JJ]

Oh look, the Niners are scrambling to piece together a defense with duct tape and prayer heading into the playoffs. LOVE to see it!

Seriously though, this is actually a pretty fascinating situation they've got going on. Down to LB4 and LB5 against the Eagles with Kyzir White literally just walking in the door? That's rough. Saleh talking about "trust that they'll have it all figured out" sounds like coach-speak for "we're gonna need a miracle here, boys."

The Stout development is actually legit though, gotta give credit where it's due. Rookie nickel corners usually get absolutely torched their first year and the fact that he's cleaning up his game heading into the playoffs shows some real mental toughness. That said, asking him to handle DeVonta Smith while the linebackers are playing musical chairs? That's a LOT.

And can we talk about how the Bills are mentioned in that Athletic piece as one of the teams that shut down the Eagles run game?? THAT'S MY SQUAD BABY! We showed the blueprint - confuse their blocking schemes, run blitzes, make Hurts uncomfortable. The question is whether this patchwork 49ers defense can execute it.

The Trent Williams situation is the real key here. No outside zone runs AT ALL last week without him? That offense is a completely different animal when he's not out there pancaking dudes. If he can't go the full game Sunday, the Niners are cooked. Plain and simple.

What do you Niners fans actually think - is there enough left in the tank for a playoff run or is this a "win for Fred" one-and-done situation?

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers elevate a pair of special teams options from the practice squad

The San Francisco 49ers announced a pair of practice squad moves, while downgrading wide receiver Jacob Cowing’s game status from questionable to out.

Wide receiver Malik Turner was elevated from the practice squad. Turner played 17 offensive snaps this season. The majority of those came when Jauan Jennings was inactive. Turner played a total of 42 snaps in three games this season.

Ricky Pearsall didn’t practice this week. The 49ers elevating a wide receiver is a hedge against Pearsall’s availability. It’s usually a tell that the position will be down one come game time. If Pearsall can’t play or is limited, it’ll be interesting to see whether Skyy Moore has a bigger role on offense as a sparkplug.

Turner’s lack of usage as a wide receiver this season suggests he’s not going to have a coming-out party on Wild Card weekend. His impact will be felt on special teams.

The 49ers also elevated linebacker Jalen Graham from the practice squad. Tatum Bethune and Luke Gifford were big-time special teamers. Turner is big, athletic, and fast enough to play special teams. Expect Graham and Turner to swap out for Bethune and Gifford if he can’t play.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...ham-tatum-bethune-jauan-jennings-malik-turner

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Golden Nuggets: GAME DAY

Jay Glazer shares encouraging update on 49ers LB Fred Warner
“Anybody else, I’d say ‘absolutely not,’ but Fred Warner has blown past all his rehab markers,” Glazer said. “I’m actually told, if they get to the NFC Championship Game, they’re holding out hope — they think there could be a chance — that Fred Warner could actually go in that game.”

Dolphins request interview with 49ers’ Robert Saleh for head coaching vacancy
“According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Miami Dolphins have requested an interview with Saleh, becoming the fifth team to do so. Miami joins the Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, and Atlanta Falcons in expressing interest in the veteran coach.”

49ers elevate two players from practice squad to boost special teams vs. Eagles
“Linebacker Jalen Graham and wide receiver Malik Turner were elevated from the practice squad to be available for the 49ers’ Wild Card game on Sunday at the Philadelphia Eagles.

The 49ers did not elevate an offensive tackle from the practice squad, which suggests starting left tackle Trent Williams will be available for action.“

49ers’ Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Kyle Juszczyk earn 2025 All-Pro nods
“McCaffrey and Juszczyk were announced Saturday morning to the Associated Press All-Pro first team. Left tackle Trent Williams was selected to the second team.”

49ers’ Kyle Juszczyk played every game for a squad teeming with injuries. Again. (paywall)
“Juszczyk said he broke the 11th rib on his back – one of the “floating” ribs – and that it was so painful he couldn’t roll over to get out of bed the next morning.

“I just felt like a prisoner. I felt like I was stuck,” he said. “I panicked and was like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ And eventually my wife had to literally roll me out of the bed.”

Juszczyk said he was lucky that the 49ers had a bye the following week, which gave him extra time to heal before hosting the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. He received a pain blocker before kickoff.

“The biggest part was trusting it. I remember coming in for my first hit, my first big collision of the game, and there was that split second before contact where you say, ‘Here we go. Am I committing to it or am I not?’” he said. “But once I had the collision, I knew that everything else would be fine. I felt like the only thing I was susceptible to was a direct shot.”

His hit launched Brock Purdy’s 49ers career. Now with Eagles, Jaelan Phillips is a fan (paywall)
“Three years later, it’s fair to say, Phillips, a part of 49ers trivia, remains a huge fan of the quarterback whose brilliant career he helped launch. That was clear when Phillips, now with the Eagles, discussed Purdy this past week before the 49ers visit Philadelphia in a wild-card playoff game Sunday.”

Eagles-49ers preview: Kyle Shanahan-Vic Fangio matchup, Niners vs. Saquon Barkley (paywall)
“Good question. It’s a key to this game. The Eagles allow the eighth-most receiving yards to running backs in the NFL this season (618 yards), including the second-most yards per catch. Two of the three longest receptions the Eagles allowed were to running backs (Bucky Irving had a 71-yarder in Week 4, Kimani Vidal in Week 14). From a personnel perspective, the Eagles have outstanding linebackers. Zack Baun is a Pro Bowler. Nakobe Dean will return this week and has been a big-time player this season. But their safeties are not the strength of the defense. A key player will be Cooper DeJean, who might be the NFL’s best slot cornerback and is a do-it-all player. Fangio knows the threat McCaffrey presents.

“He’s always a threat that way, and they do like to scheme plays for him in the passing game,” Fangio said.

I’m curious to see the Eagles’ personnel packages. The Seahawks stayed in nickel even against the 49ers’ two-back look. It would make sense for the Eagles to do the same, which would allow DeJean to play closer to the ball.“

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...on-barkley-trent-williams-ricky-george-kittle

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers playoff discussion: Jordan Love’s Packers and Caleb Williams’ part III in the Wild Card round

The Green Bay Packers were the team everybody thought would win the Super Bowl to begin the season after a couple of games with Micah Parsons. That feels like an eternity ago.

The Packers have since lost Parsons. They even lost their quarterback, Jordan Love, in their last game against the Chicago Bears. Love lost his last two starts of the season, but won the previous four. In the first matchup against the Bears, Love averaged over 9 yards per attempt and had three touchdowns. But he also threw an interception.

Caleb Williams threw for 186 yards and had an interception the first time against Green Bay, but upped that number to 250 in the rematch and two touchdowns the second time around. The Bears also had success on the ground under Ben Johnson’s scheme both times.

What will we see this time around? Probably more offense. There were 652 and 784 yards combined in each of the first two games. I think it’s a Jordan Love game, and Caleb Williams is late to the party, unfortunately for Bears’ fans, a little too late.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...aleb-williams-part-iii-in-the-wild-card-round

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers updated NFC playoff bracket: Beating the Eagles means a Seahawks rematch on Saturday in the Divisional Round

The San Francisco 49ers pulled off what felt like an improbable win on Sunday by beating the Philadelphia Eagles 23-19. The season lives on for another week, where the Niners are likely to be shorthanded after losing George Kittle to an Achilles injury.

Updated 2026 NFC playoff bracket​

That won’t be easy, going against the No. 1 seed. Since the 49ers were the lowest seed to advance, they will travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks next week. The time and schedule will be updated once we have that information.

Shanahan says he’s expecting the game to be on Saturday. He joked, “Hopefully, if the NFL is cool and understanding, it’ll be on Sunday.”

That means the Rams will travel to Chicago and play the Bears in a 2-5 matchup.

Wild Card results​

Jan. 10, 2026, 1:30 p.m. ET
Rams 34, Panthers 31

Jan. 10, 2026, 5 p.m. ET
Bears 31, Packer 27

Jan. 11, 2026, 10a.m. PT
Bills 27, Jaguars 24

Jan. 11, 2026, 4:30 p.m. PT
49ers 23, Eagles 19

Jan. 11, 2026, 5:15 p.m. PT
Patriots 16, Chargers 3

Jan. 12, 2026, 5:15 p.m. PT
Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers

Divisional Round bracket​

Saturday, January 18th, time TBD

49ers at Seahawks

The 49ers will have a short week. They’ll face the Seahawks next Saturday. They are the lowest-seeded team to advance, and the NFL is giving the No. 1 seed a reward by having them face a team with the rest disadvantage. This will be the third time in four weeks the Niners will play without a full week of rest.

This is not a unique situation. During the Divisional Round of the 2023 season, the 49ers faced the Packers in a Saturday game, with San Francisco coming off a bye. The team was also the No. 6 seed in 2021 and beat the Cowboys on Sunday, before going to Lambeau the next week to play on Sunday.

The game is scheduled for 1:30 or 5 p.m. PT. Giving the Niners the early slot would feel like a slap in the face. The Buffalo Bills are also the lowest-seeded team to advance in the AFC, and will face the No. 1-seeded Broncos.

So, this is the NFL’s doing, and it’s nothing new. That doesn’t make it any better for the road teams. Especially in the 49ers’ case, as they will lose three hours on the flight back.

The Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears, after playing on Saturday, will get an extra day of rest and play each other on Sunday.

The winner of the Texans and Steelers will also square off on Sunday.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...-results-philadelphia-eagles-divisional-round

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Texans-Steelers playoff discussion: Will it be vintage playoff Aaron Rodgers?

Demeco Ryans enters these playoffs 2-2. The Houston Texans enter this game as the fifth seed and are on the road in a hostile environment to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We have seen C.J. Stroud throw north of 245 yards in three of his four playoff starts. He’s gone two games without throwing a touchdown, but threw three in one game.

The Texans’ offense has been inconsistent all season. Since Week 11, they are 19th in the NFL in EPA per play and 24th in success rate. It’s been a struggle. But there is still that memory of Stroud in college, dicing up great defenses. Can he tap into that superstardom these playoffs?

The Steelers are 16th in EPA and 10th in defensive success rate during that same stretch. It’ll be a challenge for Houston, but this was my pre-playoff pick to win the Super Bowl.

That’s because of the other side of the ball. The Texans’ defense allowed the lowest EPA per play in the NFL this season. Their passing defense was comfortably first. Thanks to Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, paired with Derek Stingley and Jalen Pitre, the pass rush and coverage are married, making it a challenge to have success against the Texans.

They match up well against everybody, and that’ll be the case against a Steelers team that is lucky to be here. Aaron Rodgers has had a couple of vintage moments lately. Can he continue that against Houston?

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...sion-will-it-be-vintage-playoff-aaron-rodgers

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Golden Nuggets: We’re on to Seattle

Inside the giddy 49ers locker room, a Grateful tribute from a team that won’t die (paywall)
“Typically, enough Niners fans infiltrate those buildings to create a resounding roar when things go well for the visitors.

That wasn’t the case Sunday night as the depleted 49ers completed an almost unfathomable first-round playoff upset of the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles by a 23-19 score, leaving most of the 69,879 fans stunned and mute. The absence of noise left Juszczyk with an eerie sense of displacement.

“When we won the game, it was just silence,” Juszczyk told me later. “It was a weird feeling, because every time something good happened, there was no cheering. I thought, ‘S—, did we do this? Did we pull this off?’ It wasn’t really until we were celebrating here in the locker room that it really started to set in. We went into this building, and we took care of business.

“It’s insane, the way that this team keeps finding a way to win.”

49ers vs. Seahawks playoff game date and kickoff time officially announced
“That uncertainty ended Monday night, when the NFL confirmed the 49ers-Seahawks game will kick off at 5:00 p.m. PT (8:00 p.m. ET) at Lumen Field. It will be broadcast on FOX.“

49ers vs. Eagles PFF grades: Best, worst, and snap counts from the Wild Card win
“Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson was the 49ers’ highest-graded player, earning a season-high 89.5 offensive grade. Safety Ji’Ayir Brown, who left the game with a hamstring injury, was the team’s highest-graded defender with a 78.9 defensive grade. His replacement, Marques Sigle, earned the 49ers’ second-highest defensive grade (73.1).“
https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/198238-49ers-eagles-grades-worst-counts/

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...le-achilles-kyle-shanahan-macdonald-emmanwori

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Two former Super Bowl champions say Kyle Shanahan deserves lifetime contract

The San Francisco 49ers pulled off one of the more impressive wins of the season, beating the Philadelphia Eagles on the road 23-19 despite continuing to deal with the injury bug that has hit them all year.

Playing without Ricky Pearsall and losing George Kittle to a torn Achilles early in the game, it seemed like the 49ers didn’t have much of a chance early with Philadelphia’s momentum. Nonetheless, they kept the game close and found a way to win to advance to the divisional round, where they’ll face the Seattle Seahawks this Saturday.

One big factor for the 49ers was the coaching in the game. I revealed postgame my thoughts on Robert Saleh and his masterful performance, as he found a way to stop the run game in the second half and completely bottle up the offense. Then, of course, there’s Kyle Shanahan, who was on a roll with his play-calling offensively, finding a way to scheme open receivers against one of the best defensive coordinators in the league.

Shanahan has long been one of the NFL’s best head coaches, and this season has arguably been his most impressive, as he’s found a way to navigate through a number of injuries and pull out victories like Sunday’s on a consistent basis.

Each of the 49ers’ first four wins this year were one-score games that were close in the fourth quarter, including an impressive 26-23 overtime win on the road against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5, where San Francisco was a significant underdog.

Then, after a stretch of four wins and four losses, the 49ers rattled off six straight victories to keep themselves in the NFC West race, beating a number of teams despite having a troubling defense before ultimately falling short against the Seahawks in Week 18. Now, the 49ers have their chance for revenge.

After the game, several former players clamored for Kyle Shanahan to get a lifetime contract. Former 49ers player and two-time Super Bowl champion Logan Ryan shared that sentiment, as did ESPN’s Ryan Clark.

“Kyle Shanahan is one of the baddest coaches on the planet,” Ryan said on The Jim Rome Show. “Bad as in meaning good. He should have a lifetime deal with the 49ers. I knew from the moment I stepped in the first meeting of joining the team that Kyle Shanahan was one of the best coaches I have ever seen, and I got coached by Bill Belichick.

“[Shanahan] was up in that upper echelon of Xs and Os, strategy, understanding the roster, knowing exactly what he wants out of every single player, and he truly just coached circles around the games. Vic Fangio is a heck of a defensive coordinator, and that was a great battle. We obviously saw the Eagles offensive woes, but if you give Kyle Shanahan the Eagles roster, I can’t imagine how many points he would score with those weapons.”

When talking about the 49ers chances to win a Super Bowl, Clark was still pessimistic, but he also had a similar thought on Shanahan.

“I don’t believe they have enough [to win a Super Bowl], but I do believe Kyle Shanahan should be put on lifetime contract,” Clark said on First Take. “What Kyle Shanahan has done this season is absolutely phenomenal. To get this team to play at this level without Brock Purdy at times, without Ricky Pearsall, without Trent Williams, without Brandon Aiyuk the entire season. The way that Christian McCaffrey has put this team on his back and the utilization of him by Kyle Shanahan strategically and schematically, it is the greatest year I’ve ever seen a playcaller have.”

While I’m not sure we ever see a lifetime contract in the NFL with how much changes on a year-by-year basis (see the John Harbaugh situation), Shanahan has continued to do a stellar job with the 49ers, doing more with less.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...etime-contract-super-bowl-philadelphia-eagles

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers news: Win it for Fred (and George)

49ers minutia minute: Kyle Juszczyk, defensive rookies took charge vs. Eagles (paywall)
“Training camp was rough on 49ers receivers, with nearly every one of them going down with an injury at some point. An exception was Robinson, who was on hand for every session and built a strong rapport with Purdy and Mac Jones as a result. Once he returned from a three-game suspension to begin the season, it seemed like he’d have a big role and plenty of production.

Instead, he had a quiet season … that is, until Sunday. His first catch went for 61 yards, which was the 49ers’ longest play of the season and more yards than Robinson had in any single game this season….[Trent] Williams acknowledged Friday that his right hamstring was not fully healed, and his outing reflected that. He gave up a team-high six pressures, including five quarterback hurries. Still, he didn’t miss a snap, and the 49ers are hoping the short week of rest — plus a plane flight to and from the East Coast — won’t be too much for him to play in Saturday’s divisional road playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Meanwhile, all 52 of Eagles pass rusher Jaelan Phillips’ snaps — the 49ers considered trading for Phillips at midseason — came on the left side of the defense, which meant he was mostly matched against McKivitz. Phillips finished with three quarterback pressures and no tackles….Lenoir failed to contain the left edge of the 49ers defense on Barkley’s 29-yard run. Still, he finished with eight tackles and was matched against A.J. Brown for most of the contest. Brown finished with three catches for 25 yards on seven targets. His total of 25 receiving yards was his lowest output in the second half of the season.“

49ers open practice window for All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. When might he play? (paywall)
“We’re opening his window so he can do some stuff,” Shanahan said. “But we’re not doing much. So he’ll walk through out there with us today, hoping he can be ready for next week.”….After two missed games, sophomore standout receiver Ricky Pearsall is expected to return to practice in a limited capacity Tuesday. But because the 49ers are holding a walkthrough at the start of a short week, his participation level, as noted by Shanahan, is merely an estimation of what it would be if the team held a full practice.

Pearsall did not practice last week. The week before, ahead of the regular-season finale against the Seahawks, he was listed as limited for light practices; Shanahan said the 49ers did not work through a single full-speed rep in what was their second short week in a row….“We usually bring them in for about seven hours today,” Shanahan said. “They’re only in for about three-and-a-half. We’ll do all walkthrough, nothing full speed. We won’t go against each other at all. And then we’ll see how it goes, see how guys feel and decide what we want to do tomorrow.”

49ers practice and media schedule ahead of Divisional Round playoff matchup vs. Seahawks
“Tuesday, January 13
12:00 p.m. – Kyle Shanahan press conference

Wednesday, January 14
9:30 a.m. – Robert Saleh press conference
Following Saleh – Klay Kubiak press conference
11:05 a.m. – Brock Purdy press conference
12:40 p.m. – Practice

Thursday, January 15
12:35 p.m. – Practice
After practice (approx. 1:40 p.m.) – Kyle Shanahan press conference”

Kyle Shanahan previews 49ers-Seahawks Divisional Round matchup
“I feel great. I feel showered, fresh. That’s why I’m wearing my Crocs. I’m going to brush my teeth here in a second and get going (laughter). I’m just joking. I did that early. I’m not like that, but no, it is what it is. You’re like that this time of year. We’ve kind of been in a hole for about seven months and once you get to the playoffs, it really doesn’t matter. Everyone’s into it. So, whether they gave us three days, one day, eight days, you always have your preferences for common sense reasons, but whenever you get dealt your hand, you’re ready to roll.”

How does it affect the game planning when you’re playing a team twice within almost back-to-back games?

“You’ll see when you get to the game. You definitely can’t overthink it, but it’s also at the same time, kind of hard to overthink. Not anything has gone down since the last game. Well, they got to watch 70 or so plays of whatever we did versus Philly. But you know, we get in late whatever and there’s one game for us to watch and that’s the one that we all watched last week. So, you only can watch that so much. We know each other very well. We’ve played against each other a ton. The schemes even the last time we played didn’t change much on both sides as opposed to Week 1. So, I think both teams got an idea of exactly what to expect. There are always wrinkles and timing and a situation when you’re going to see that stuff, but it kind of simplifies everything which usually the playoffs as a whole are kind of that way too.”“

49ers overreactions: Is Jauan Jennings a must-sign player this offseason?
“If Warner gets back on the field, the 49ers would have a decision to make whether to reinsert Winters or shift Kendricks to the weakside linebacker spot.”

49ers game review: Brock Purdy’s ‘gangster’ second-quarter throw shouldn’t be forgotten (paywall)
“With 5:38 in the second quarter, when Purdy took a shotgun snap, they were down 13-7 because the Eagles had just ripped off 13 straight points, scoring their second touchdown 30 seconds earlier on a 16-play, 94-yard drive against an injury-ravaged defense.

And then the 49ers’ offense, already missing its top receiver, lost its heart and soul on the first snap following Philadelphia’s score when All-Pro tight end and eight-time team captain George Kittle suffered a torn Achilles.

As Kittle disappeared on a cart into the locker-room tunnel, it was 2nd-and-4 from the 49ers’ 29-yard line, and the Linc was ear-splittingly loud, the fans sensing blood in the water against a wounded visitor.

And then Purdy made a trademark cold-blooded throw.

After taking the snap, Purdy stared down Jennings, who was running an intermediate crossing route from the left slot and had a step on cornerback Cooper DeJean. However, Purdy had to loft the ball over dropping linebacker Zack Baun, but not give it too much air: He also had to ensure it reached Jennings before safety Reed Blankenship arrived.

The result: Purdy’s pass hit Jennings in stride at the 49ers’ 46, allowing him to keep running on a 45-yard reception.

The play led only to a field goal, cutting the deficit to 13-10, but it quieted the crowd and, most importantly, it changed the game’s tenor by letting everybody know: Settle in, these guys aren’t going anywhere.

“They needed that,” Fox analyst Tom Brady said.

And it’s possible Purdy is among the few QBs who could have provided it.“

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/...me-review-brock-purdy-s-gangster-21292483.php

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...practice-report-injury-walkthrough-full-speed

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

The injury news seems to be turning in the 49ers favor

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall told reporters that he is optimistic about playing this Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks. Pearsall said he planned to practice in full.

#49ers WR Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) is practicing again on Wednesday. A look… pic.twitter.com/o5AU4eHX9l

— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) January 14, 2026

Ricky Pearsall back at 49ers practice, too pic.twitter.com/DJGo44suTo

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) January 14, 2026

Pearsall’s gait looks good, and seeing him change direction and get in and out of his breaks without any hitch or issue is a sign that he will play after missing the previous two weeks.

Pearsall had 108 yards in Week 1 against Seattle. In the final two games he played during the regular season, Pearsall had 96 and 85 receiving yards. In those three games, he had at least seven targets. There’s a rapport between him and Brock Purdy and a level of trust that is palpable—almost as if he’s Brock’s security blanket.

Pearsall’s playing would also allow the 49ers to roll with their three best receivers and avoid having Kendrick Bourne, Skyy Moore, or Malik Turner on the field for long stretches at a time. The trickle effect also goes to special teams. Meaning, the 49ers won’t have to activate another wideout and can use that position on a special teamer or another defender.

The big injury news is Fred Warner, who does not look like a player preparing to take this Saturday off:

#49ers LB Fred Warner going through individual drills and a quick self evaluation at the end… (sound on)… pic.twitter.com/wPtPGBgvMQ

— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) January 14, 2026

Um, what broken ankle? Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Ricky Pearsall, Trent Williams among those on hand for 49ers’ lively Wednesday practice… pic.twitter.com/lqy9YdqUaE

— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) January 14, 2026

Warner spoke to the media ahead of Wednesday’s practice, saying, “We’re taking it day by day,” when asked about his availability: “I think they said last week they weren’t going to open my window, and then my window is now open. So yeah, we’re just taking it day by day.”

Warner acknowledged what Kyle Shanahan said: there are still boxes he needs to check before he can be cleared to play. He did not seem worried about the idea that he’s returning prematurely:

“Everything up to this point has been in direct communication with the doctors, the trainers, everybody involved with my surgery,” Warner said. “Nothing up to this point has been done just out of just, ‘Hey man, let’s just go out and do it.’ … Everything is scientifically based, right? So anytime you step out there on a football field … that’s what this game is, a violent game. But at the same time, I’m not going to go out there and put myself at an added risk if I’m not ready.”

It hasn’t been 100 days since Warner’s injury, yet here we are, discussing the possibility of him returning. You can’t help but marvel at the work ethic these professional athletes have.

Warner continued:

“I think obviously when all this happened, I didn’t really think about the possibility of returning in season, but the way things progressed and being able to have this opportunity to be back with my teammates and have a chance at helping them win this week and so on and so forth, that’s my only goal going forward.”

At this point, it would be a surprise if Warner didn’t suit up on Saturday night.

Left tackle Trent Williams was upgraded from limited to a full participant. That is the only change on the injury report from Tuesday to Wednesday, but that’s not a small one. Shanahan said the 49ers were going to “really embrace having him back this week.” His being healthy will allow the offense to do so.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...55290/49ers-injury-fred-warner-ricky-pearsall

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Golden Nuggets: Seeing Fred at practice has me ready to run through a wall

49ers’ Warner back at practice. ‘Fred is different from anybody else’ (paywall)
“He appeared to run and jump with an intensity his peers have grown accustomed to mimicking. His presence alone injected energy and fresh stakes for a team beginning to realize it may be one win away from seeing the perennial All-Pro linebacker, who also happens to be the longest active 49ers team captain, call tails at the pregame coin toss.

“I just think the fact that Fred even has a jersey on, less than 100 days after what happened to him,” Trent Williams said, “that just uplifts the team.”

Warner did not take a back seat to anyone in his first practice back, resuming his role as line leader. He took every first rep with his position group. The order of operations served as a reminder, particularly for a run-down 49ers roster in the middle of another short week, how it’s done.

“Guys are like, man, 54 is right there around the corner,” Purdy said. “Obviously, we do our job, handle our business, then we can get him back. … Guys feed off that. He’s the captain here, man. He’s the guy that we all follow.”

As fellow linebackers ran over to join Warner ahead of individual drills, he flipped his dreadlocks back, strapped up his helmet and dapped up the guys. All signs that it was time to go to work. Warner ran ahead of his teammates to demonstrate.

He dug in his cleats, some few steps right of a sled. He shuffled to the left at many paces, preparing to launch. He punched through the bag, which clanked its usual clank. He sprinted to pursue the ball carrier, who in this case was a defenseless 49ers staffer. He leaped past, so as not to injure anyone on his first day back.

Warner then ran by the horde of cameras following his every move, and hollered: “God damn, we look good!”

49ers star Fred Warner instantly brings ‘pure energy’ in return to practice
“It is not likely that Warner will be cleared to play against the Seahawks, coach Kyle Shanahan said. But the 49ers hope Warner could be available if the team advances to the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 24.”

49ers’ Ricky Pearsall expects to play Saturday while being more mindful of balky knee
“On that individual play, getting out of bounds is the wiser move,” said Pearsall, who was limited in Wednesday’s practice. “I landed straight on my knee and I just can’t take tackles like that right now. Because I’m just going to have setbacks if I continue to land on the knee. … Being able to adjust a little bit within my game is something I’m kind of learning as I go about it.

“And what I learned after that tackle, actually, on the plays going forward, the catches that I have, just be a little bit smarter. Get as many yards as you can, but don’t take big hits.”

Pearsall said he hasn’t been able to reach top speed since he was hurt in Week 4, but maintained the injury hasn’t impacted his route-running when he’s been able to play. He’s had 16 catches for 201 yards in five games since returning from the six-game absence.

If he returns Saturday, he’ll do so more mindful of his injury while accepting there are limits to what he’ll do to protect his right knee.“

How the 49ers’ approach will change for another short-week game vs. the Seahawks (paywall)
“The 49ers are also likely to practice differently this week than they did in Week 18.

Shanahan noted the regular-season finale against the Seahawks was the 49ers’ third game in 13 days and that the team had no full-speed practice periods beforehand. Two of the three walk-through practices that week were held at night under the lights of Levi’s Stadium to allow players to get extra sleep in the morning.

The team emphasized sleep and recovery on Tuesday as well. The 49ers’ charter flight got back from Philadelphia around 1 a.m. Monday, and Shanahan didn’t have the players come in until 10 a.m. Tuesday. They usually spend seven hours at the facility when they begin their week of practice; on Tuesday, they were in the office for only 3 1/2 hours.

But the rest of the week promises to be more intense. And it’s likely that Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practices will be harder than they were before the last meeting with the Seahawks, one in which the 49ers defense had a season-high 18 missed tackles and the offense scored a season-low three points…..Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, meanwhile, said in hindsight he wished the 49ers had pushed themselves through their end-of-season fatigue, instead of forgoing full-speed practice periods.

“Physiologically, you want to try and touch those top speeds like once every four to five days, even if it’s for one rep,” he said. “You just want to be able to touch it. It reinforces your nervous system to understand what it’s like to get there. It’s counterintuitive in that you think rest is better. But sometimes doing less is not doing more for those types of things.”

Kawakami: The 49ers have a chip on their shoulders and no time for self-pity (paywall)
“The coach was in sandals, most of the morning meetings were waved off, the locker-room mood was positive but murmuring at notably lower decibels than usual, and the practice work and basically the entire day unwound at decidedly less than half-speed.

Yes, it was Casual Tuesday in the 49ers’ previously manic playoff run.

And folks, right now they really need as much serenity as possible. Tuesday is usually a treasured day off, but because the 49ers are playing their huge divisional-round playoff game in Seattle on Saturday, this week’s schedule had to be moved up 24 hours.

Of course, the 49ers couldn’t speed up the healing of their bruised bodies and frayed nerves from their tense victory over the Eagles on Sunday evening and long flight back home that night.

In fact, that probably explains why the locker room seemed fairly empty during the media period — who can give interviews when almost everybody has to queue up for treatment?

So maybe there was a little more sarcasm than usual; better to joke about their massive rest disadvantage against the Seahawks than to sound grumpy and bitter.“

How 49ers’ Eric Kendricks went from nearly calling it quits to calling a playoff defense (paywall)
“Last summer he was working out at UCLA with a group of NFL players. Two months ago, however, Kendricks was training by himself at his alma mater and wondering whether he was toiling for an opportunity that wouldn’t materialize.

“All my friends that were working out with me were back on teams at other places and I was kind of just like, ‘Should I call it? Should I call it in? Should I not work out today?’” Kendricks said. “And then it was just kind of like, nah, stick to the routine. Stick to the grind. I knew something was going to pop up that was good.”

Saleh, Kubiak, Purdy preview 49ers-Seahawks Divisional Round matchup
“Your rookie defensive tackles have made some strides over the last month or so. What do you see from those guys particularly in the run game?

“The biggest thing is they’re learning in terms of the different blocking combinations that they can get. It’s a lot more complex than what they would’ve seen in college. They’re doing a really nice job disengaging faster than when it first started. They’ve gotten better every week. They’re very deliberate in everything they’ve been doing and we’re obviously really excited about their trajectory.”

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...ams-ricky-pearsall-dee-winters-eric-kendricks

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers DC Robert Saleh has an interview scheduled for before Saturday’s game

Initially, the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator said he hadn’t had any interviews for head coaching positions as of Wednesday. He ended his press conference by saying he wouldn’t interview until Sunday, and the team confirmed that.

According to Tennessee Titans insider Paul Kuharsky, Saleh has a Zoom interview scheduled with the Titans for Sunday morning.

Not so fast.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted on Thursday that Saleh has an interview scheduled late Thursday night for the Arizona Cardinals head coaching vacancy. For now, there is no word on whether the interview is virtual or not.

Arizona requested Saleh to interview on January 6. Saleh feels like one of the top three candidates in this coaching cycle, making the last-place Cardinals in a division with three of the best coaches in the NFL an unlikely destination.

But you never know. The Cardinals have the third pick in the NFL Draft and the 10th most cap space for 2026, and that’s before they create more space by moving Kyler Murray’s contract.

49ers fans might not like the idea of their coordinator investing time in anything other than the Seattle Seahawks this close to kickoff. In Saleh’s mind, “The hay is in the barn.” There is nothing more to put in the game plan.

The 49ers are slated to land in Seattle late Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. PT. It’s a brisk two-hour and 20-minute flight. They could have the walkthrough late morning before they hop on the plane. Again, nothing Saleh does tonight should impact the schedule on Friday.

Detroit Lions fans gave Ben Johnson a hard time for interviewing during the team’s playoff runs, but those were also reportedly virtual. Anything Saleh does tonight is unlikely to impact his thought process 48 hours from now when the 49ers are in a playoff game.

The Steelers also submitted an interview request for 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak for their head coach vacancy, per Dianna Russini.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...interview-scheduled-for-before-saturdays-game

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Golden Nuggets: Which quarterback are the 49ers facing? It appears oblique

Kyle Shanahan shares final updates ahead of 49ers-Seahawks Divisional Round matchup
“How close is WR Jacob Cowing to being on the field?

“He’s close. He’s healthy. You know, he’s had two good weeks and I think we’ve got one more week with him where we’ve got to make a decision, but he’s looked really good out there.”

49ers shrug off Seahawks’ QB Sam Darnold being listed as questionable (paywall)
“Backup quarterback Drew Lock reportedly took first-team snaps in his place.

Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was asked how Darnold looked during the session, but deferred all injury questions to head coach Mike Macdonald, who was not scheduled to speak until Friday. Amid an apparent episode of gamesmanship, Darnold did not play along.

“In routes on air, just kind of felt a little something in my oblique,” Darnold said Thursday. “Just didn’t want to push it. Wasn’t the day to push it. So that was it. … I feel like I’ll be ready to go for Saturday.”

How ‘50 knives’ game prepared 49ers’ Brock Purdy for excruciating test in Seattle (paywall)
“On Dec. 15, 2022, the San Francisco 49ers’ then-rookie quarterback received a pre-kickoff injection for a strained oblique and broken rib he suffered four days earlier and felt some relief. Then, on his second throw, an innocuous 4-yard completion, his body seized in agony.

“That throw I was like, ‘Oh, man,’” Purdy recalled in 2023. “It felt like 50 knives in the same area. It was almost hard to breathe.”

49ers’ Fred Warner out vs. Seahawks; Shanahan ‘confident’ about him for NFC title game (paywall)
“Shanahan answered optimistically when asked whether Warner showed enough Wednesday in his lone practice this week to have confidence he could be ready for the NFC Championship Game.

“Yes, I do feel confident in that,” Shanahan said Thursday. “We’ll see if it works out.”

The 49ers will have to make do with a half-healthy Ricky Pearsall. The second-year wide receiver said repeatedly that he expects to play Saturday. The catch? Pearsall acknowledged he’ll have to play differently to accommodate for a posterior cruciate ligament knee injury that he said won’t fully heal until the offseason.

“That’s probably the toughest part, is it just lingering around,” said Pearsall, who is officially considered questionable to suit up versus the Seahawks. “It’s one of those injuries that is not going to heal up until I’m fully rested and done. And I can’t do that right now.”

Kawakami: Shanahan’s longevity, Purdy’s true value, and more 49ers legacies in the making (paywall)
“Here’s the lasting legacy of this 49ers season: They’ve opened a legitimate Super Bowl window, which will become enormously obvious if they pull off a few more thrilling upsets.

And even if they lose Saturday in Seattle, the 49ers have survived too many devastating things this season to let the momentum and good vibes expire going into next season and beyond.

They’ve got something meaningful here. They know it. Everybody around the league can see it. And it’s not evaporating anytime soon — just like it only felt stronger after they lost George Kittle to an Achilles tear in the second quarter of their Sunday victory over Philadelphia.

“Everything we’ve done to that point goes down in vain if we don’t take advantage of this opportunity,” Trent Williams said Wednesday of the team’s mindset against the Eagles. “George’s spirit and energy lives through this team.”

They’ve got another opportunity Saturday — without Kittle, Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, and many others, though possibly with Fred Warner back after his devastating injury in October.

The 49ers are underdogs, but they have some chance to continue this and win Super Bowl 60. If they don’t win this Super Bowl, they should and will be considered one of the favorites to win it next year or the year after that. Given what they accomplished under duress this season, they likely will win a Super Bowl soon enough in some lesser-cursed season.

The window is back open after they lost Super Bowl 58, tumbled the following year after a flood of injuries, then reset the roster and payroll last offseason.

Which makes this a good time for a legacy check on the top figures in the organization. Nobody’s legacy should be defined by one win or loss, but things get altered or underlined as seasons come and go — especially a season as meaningful as this one.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...eason-sigle-brown-divisional-round-brock-pudy

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Robert Saleh not surprised by rookie’s progression to playoff difference-maker

There are few more difficult gigs in the NFL than playing cornerback as a rookie, and for slot corners, the challenge is even greater.

Nickel corners are tasked with having to defend receivers who can win with elite quickness and the ‘power slots’ and the F tight ends who are frequently aligned at that spot. Preventing receptions is tougher than playing on the outside as slot receivers more consistently work underneath, while there is a huge burden on slot defenders in terms of run defense.

At times this season, it has looked as if the strain of those responsibilities might be too much for third-round rookie Upton Stout as he endured some significant ups and downs early in his career.

But the 49ers have stood by Stout, buying into the flashes of promise in the early weeks of the season and into his aggressiveness in pursuit in physicality in the run game.

And they have been rewarded for their faith, as Stout progressed substantially over the second half of the regular season before producing an excellent display in the 49ers’ wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Stout was targeted five times by the Eagles but gave up only two receptions for 23 yards and made a key pass breakup on third down in the first half.

That followed a Week 18 game where Stout conceded just two yards in coverage against the Seattle Seahawks. Not since the Week 11 win over the Arizona Cardinals has Stout conceded 50 or more yards in coverage.

Stout’s second-half surge has given the secondary a greater air of solidity, one that was furthered against the Eagles by the play of fellow rookie Marques Sigle after he stepped in at safety for the injured Ji’Ayir Brown.

And, for defensive coordinator, neither the performance of Stout nor that of Sigle came as a surprise.

He said on Wednesday:

“Coach [assistant head coach defense Gus] Bradley says it all the time that ‘the mother of learning is repetition.’ So, you trust that if they get enough reps, if they keep getting reps and they’re deliberate in their reps and they’re learning from their mistakes, you naturally are going to get better. Now, how fast they get better is you never know. But, it’s not surprising that a guy like Stout has improved throughout the year. He’s banked, I don’t know how many reps, but he’s got all the practice reps, OTAs, training, camp, practices, game reps, and he has been put in some really critical situations throughout the entire season. And he’s getting more and more confident with what he’s being asked to do. He’s recognizing more and more of what offenses are trying to do and he’s learning. So, naturally they’re going to get better. It’s exciting to see. We’ve done it before with young guys and the whole league has always seen the more young guys play, the faster they get. So, it’s exciting to see them, but it’s not surprising.”

Stout’s progress is a reminder that development, especially at a position as difficult as slot corner, is rarely linear.

It’s a position where players need to have the mental strength to handle the inevitable undulations in fortunes, and the likelihood is that there will be more ups and downs for Stout in Year 2.

But right now, Stout looks like a player who will be a cornerstone of the defense for years to come, and one in whom the 49ers will have significant belief to deliver again versus the Seahawks in their Divisional Round matchup on Saturday.

San Francisco’s Week 18 meeting with Seattle was preceded in part by discussion around Deommodore Lenoir shadowing Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Thanks to his upturn during the second half and his outstanding showings across the last two weeks, the 49ers are unlikely to have any trepidation about Stout going man-to-man with Smith-Njigba as they aim to spring the upset at Lumen Field.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...d-rookie-progression-playoff-difference-maker

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Jim Harbaugh does in Los Angeles what many 49ers fans think he should have done in San Francisco

If you’re a San Francisco 49ers fan who heard the Los Angeles Chargers news, you may be saying, “It finally happened.”

And those are the coaching changes. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman has been relieved of duties, and the search for a replacement is on.

Since this is a San Francisco 49ers site, you might be asking, “Ok, why are we talking about this here?”

Because the Chargers’ head coach is Jim Harbaugh, who previously held the same title with the 49ers, and the offensive coordinator under him during that tenure was none other than Roman.

In Harbaugh’s first year, 49ers fans were shocked at how much better the offense could be. This was after a year of Mike Singletary, Jimmy Raye II, and whoever else Singletary could find willing to work with the team. So better is a bit misleading; it showed how bad the 49ers were.

Regardless, Roman had fans. Players seemed to respond to him as well, giving him nicknames like the “evil genius” and “mad scientist.”

That didn’t mean the 49ers were the greatest offense in the league, but competence was better than what fans had been subjected to. In the middle of the second year, Roman helped develop an offense on the fly for Colin Kaepernick, who took over for Alex Smith midseason. The offense utilized the pistol formation — something Kaepernick was familiar with in college — and the read option.

It looked good, despite the cracks.

Those cracks came as the games went on. Blunders like the option pitch. Larger blunders like the Super Bowl loss in the 2012 season, when the final four offensive plays made that season’s Great Disappointment. Fans may remember Kaepernick’s failed fade more than the power outage.

Harbaugh continued to back his guy as the pitchforks came out.

Despite Harbaugh’s backing, Roman continued falling out of favor with the fans and the general manager’s daughter. I’m not kidding, then-GM Trent Baalke’s daughter Cass posted this following a brutal Thanksgiving loss to the Seahawks.

Was Roman a reason for the 49ers mutually parting ways with Jim Harbaugh? Who knows. All there has been are rumors. Rumors that the coaching staff was ready to move on from Colin Kaepernick, rumors that Jim Tomsula did Jim Tomsula things. Nothing concrete.

Regardless, Roman was trending downward. Whether that’s a fault of Kaepernick or not is up to you. If you think Roman has been scapegoated for the Chargers’ season, it’s not the first time the scapegoat card has been thrown his way. That same narrative has been told for several teams: he’s been let go by the Buffalo Bills midseason (after a game where his offense scored 31 points) and resigned from the Baltimore Ravens following a wild-card loss.

Which brings us back to the Chargers. Harbaugh steadfastly backed Roman when fans were turning sour on his offense in San Francisco, but clearly didn’t have as much patience in Los Angeles. Would this have changed anything had Harbaugh done this back in 2012? Who knows. One of the issues with the 49ers’ offense wasn’t the playcalling (oh, it was bonehead at times, mind you), but the terrible clock management made it so that Harbaugh could make the final play call. I doubt that system changes if the 49ers showed Roman the door.

But those of you pleading for the 49ers to get Roman out before Harbaugh’s untimely exit—ahem, “mutual parting of ways”—now you get some closure. Jim Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator has been let go.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...ns-think-he-should-have-done-in-san-francisco

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers-Seahawks playoff discussion: Win, and your reward is Fred Warner

The San Francisco 49ers come into this game without George Kittle. They do get a healthier version of Trent Williams and add Ricky Pearsall to the active roster.

Dee Winters should be better next to Eric Kendricks, while Luke Gifford, the team leader in special teams tackles, will help the team on coverage units.

Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, and Demarcus Robinson are the best wide receiver trio on the roster. The 49ers will be able to get more accomplished with those three on the field. The loss of Kittle stings, so we’ll see how Kyle Shanahan plans to replace an All-Pro tight end.

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The obvious answer is Christian McCaffrey. He’s been the answer as a receiver. Last week, McCaffrey ran multiple routes down the field. That felt like a segue to what we will see tonight.

The success of the defense will be determined by execution. Missed tackles, coverage busts, overrunning plays, and not being where you’re supposed to cost the Niners in Week 18. If they can clean those mistakes up, the 49ers will be playing next week alongside Fred Warner.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...discussion-win-and-your-reward-is-fred-warner

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Golden Nuggets: What a season of 49ers football

What we learned as 49ers’ 2025 NFL season ends with NFC playoff loss to Seahawks
“The 49ers hope Warner, Bosa and Kittle will return to being highly productive players and key figures of the team next season.

Those players returning from injuries, along with first-round pick Mykel Williams, should give the 49ers a boost next season. But it cannot end there, either.

Lynch must stack a good draft class onto the roster, and many of the young players on the roster must make significant strides in 2026.

The 49ers’ top scheduled free agent is wide receiver Jauan Jennings. The sides could not come together on a contract extension before the start of this season, so it is anything but a guarantee that Jennings will be back.

The 49ers expect to have six draft picks within the first four rounds, and there are plenty of areas for them to address: Wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line and defensive back top the list.

Aiyuk stopped showing up for his required rehab sessions, prompting the team to void all remaining guaranteed money. The 49ers do not owe Aiyuk another penny. That should open up some cash for them to spend elsewhere, perhaps allowing them to add a key free agent or two.

The 49ers have a lot of work to do, and they need to find the next generation of stars to ultimately replace their aging nucleus.“

Hutchinson: The 49ers’ jig is finally up
“This team attempting to convince us they had a chance at a Super Bowl was absurd.

Don’t mistake this as a criticism of the 49ers. It’s the opposite. They stubbornly forced their way into conversations they had no business being a part of. This season was buried under the ground for months, and yet, there was a pule.

Despite the obvious impossibility of their situation, the 49ers had us all going, “well… maybe?”

No one can accuse the 49ers of phoning it in… perhaps with the exception of Luke Farrell.

The focus will quickly turn to the draft. John Lynch will say early this week that the 49ers were always viewing this as a transition year, that he is astounded and proud of his guys, that the effort they and the coaching staff put into this season are commendable. He will almost shed a tear that he holds back through gritted teeth. But the 49ers, he will say, will reload and get healthy next year.

The question, given what the 49ers faced against Seattle and Los Angeles and all the other, younger, healthier rosters in the league is… should we believe that? Is this team actually building enough? How strong is the foundation?“

What if? 49ers’ Fred Warner ponders lost chance to return (paywall)
“I was back and forth on it pregame if I wanted to watch from the top or be on the field,” Warner said. “I think they wanted me to be in the box to try to stay off my feet, for if we won, to give myself an opportunity to work into next week. But as soon as that first quarter happened, I said there was no way I was not going to be on the field to help.”

49ers’ Christian McCaffrey sees painful end to inspiring season: ‘I gave it everything’ (paywall)
“This was one of the hardest years of my life (with) everything that happened to me last year,” McCaffrey said. “And I kind of had to overcome a lot of odds. And from the time January 1 happened, I was rehabbing and working my butt off every single day. My wife went through it. There was not a lot of time off. …

“But when I look back at all the people that helped. People that helped me out and the people that were with me every step of the way and believed in me when a lot of people did — I appreciate it. I’m really grateful for my family, my friends and everybody in that locker room.”

Proud San Francisco 49ers quickly turn page to next season
“Left tackle Trent Williams, 37, confirmed again after Saturday’s game that he intends to keep playing. Williams was one of the players most encouraged about the team’s future, especially if it can get defensive end Nick Bosa (ACL), linebacker Fred Warner (ankle) and tight end George Kittle (Achilles) back to full strength at some point.

“We had a lot of young guys that contributed a lot to our success, and they have really, really bright futures,” Williams said. “I’m super proud of this team. Obviously, it didn’t go the way we wanted to, but the future is really bright.”

The 49ers enter a crucial offseason as they look to take the next step to get back into contention for the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy. They will have plenty of roster needs, including bolstering the pass rush, offensive line, receivers and safety position.“

Does Brock Purdy have a Seahawks problem? 49ers have an offseason to ponder that (paywall)
“Purdy walked to the sideline with a look of exasperation, perhaps because his target, tight end Luke Farrell, appeared to be caught flat-footed and wasn’t expecting the pass. Purdy was asked about his post-pick frustration.

“Yeah, I mean, we’re off schedule, and I’m at that point, you know, I’m just trying to figure out which way this was going to go,” Purdy said.

“So that’s not on (Farrell). He got put in a tough situation. If anything, throw the ball away and live to see another down.”

Purdy has struggled to do just that when facing defenses overseen by Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, who was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator when Purdy threw four interceptions in a 33-17 loss against Baltimore in December 2023. In six games against Macdonald, five coming since Macdonald joined Seattle last year, Purdy is 3-3, has thrown six touchdowns, nine interceptions and has a 75.8 passer rating.

Purdy noted the Seahawks employed two deep safeties, hoping to prevent big passing plays, and make QBs try to beat them with a deliberate, methodical approach. Of course, that conservative approach is often wrecked by QB harassers such as Lawrence and Williams, part of a defense that ranked seventh in the NFL in sacks.“

What was Kyle Shanahan’s heated talk with 49ers CB Renardo Green about? ‘Coaching aggressively’ (paywall)
““I mean, I couldn’t really do nothing,” Green said. “I got taken out for coaching, so I couldn’t really do nothing but just watch and cheer my guys on, and when he comes to the sideline, be like, ‘It’s a race route, runaway route from the leverage.’”

Shanahan said of the interaction: “Just coaching him on a certain play, a certain technique. Just coaching aggressively.”

Green, a second-year player, did not take offense. It was a frustrating night for all involved. Nothing could stop what the Seahawks brought Saturday night, as the 49ers allowed 41 points in a game that was effectively decided in less than four quarters.

“I hear him out, he tell me what I did wrong, and then we go out there on the field and correct it,” Green said.

“It ain’t nothing crazy or nothing. It’s just about understanding the point that they’re trying to get across, and then me as a player being like, ‘Oh, well, I need to do this better and do that.’”

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/...n-s-heated-talk-49ers-cb-renardo-21300831.php

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...attle-seahawks-blowout-injuries-kyle-shanahan

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

3 stars for the 49ers from the Divisional round: Brock Purdy went down swinging

The San Francisco 49ers’ season ended in a massive crash and burn at the hands of a SCORE rout by the Seattle Seahawks.

Rashid Shaheed took the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, and the next 59 minutes and 47 seconds of game time felt like torture. By the time the 49ers took the field for their third possession, they were already facing a 17-point deficit, and it would only get uglier from there.

For the final time, let’s look at the three stars from Saturday’s season-ending loss:

Third star: K Eddy Pineiro

For the second time in three weeks, Pineiro was responsible for 100 percent of the 49ers’ points against Seattle. After his season with the 49ers began after the 49ers’ Week 1 victory in Seattle, Pineiro proved to be the 49ers’ only offense in their next two games against the Seahawks.

Pineiro opened the scoring for the 49ers with a 40-yard field goal to start the second quarter. He quickly followed with a 56-yard make on the next drive to cut the Seattle lead to 11. Unfortunately for the 49ers and Pineiro, the 49ers kicker needed 12 more field goals on the night to put San Francisco in the lead.

After several years of kicking woes, Pineiro solidified the position for the 49ers, making 31-of-32 kicks on the season.

Second star: LB Dee Winters

There wasn’t much to brag about for the 49ers’ defense on Saturday night, but No. 53 was far and away the unit’s best player.

Winters finished with a team-high nine tackles, but his most significant impact came around and behind the line of scrimmage.

With Seattle already up seven in the first quarter, they moved the ball into field goal range, looking to double their lead on their first offensive possession. Facing a third-and-2, Seattle attempted a run with Zach Charbonnet to extend the drive, but Winters had other plans. The linebacker exploded through the line, barely giving the Seattle running back time to react after getting the ball, blowing up the play for a loss of two, and forcing the Seahawks to settle for three points.

Winters’ next big play wasn’t a tackle for loss, but a big hit was involved. Coming out of the two-minute warning, Darnold looked for an easy completion to fullback Robbie Ouzts in the flats. While the ball got to Ouzts, Winters read the play well and made a beeline to the fullback, blowing him up, knocking the ball free, and forcing an incomplete pass.

Winters would add his next two tackles for loss on run attempts by Shaheed and Walker, but both came when the game was well out of reach. On such an embarrassing night for the defense, Winters was the only standout on the night.

First star: QB Brock Purdy

Purdy’s performance wasn’t perfect, but it was nothing short of heroic.

Yes, there was the interception, but that felt more of a Luke Farrell effort issue than it was a Purdy issue, and the fumble lost came when the game was a lost cause.

But Seattle’s secondary was allowing no space and making everything tough on the quarterback, and he still didn’t have too bad of a game. Purdy was pulled at the start of the fourth quarter with a line of 15-for-27 for 140 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

It’s tough to find any stretch where the 49ers’ offense looked exceptionally great. Still, they managed back-to-back field goal scoring drives where Purdy led the offense, completing nine-of-12 passes for 81 yards, with consecutive completions to Jake Tonges going for 15 yards each.

Purdy also got the job done with his legs, leading all 49ers rushers with 37 yards on five attempts. While the 49ers’ longest play of the game was a 19-yard completion to Jauan Jennings, right before the half, Purdy scrambled for a gain of 18, good for the 49ers’ longest run of the game.

Other than that, it was a quiet night for Purdy, but that’s more of a credit to Seattle’s defense kicking the 49ers’ ass for 60 minutes. But despite it all, it was a gritty performance from the 49ers quarterback, and on a night where not much was going right, that’s enough to earn the final first star of the season.

Throughout the season, I will track the three stars of the season, tallying points for each star award using a complex scoring system: three points for being the first star, two for the second, and one for the third. At season’s end, the standings are:

1. RB Christian McCaffrey – 20 points
2. QB Brock Purdy – 14 points
3. LB Fred Warner – 11 points
4. TE George Kittle – 11 points

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...visional-round-brock-purdy-went-down-swinging

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Brock Purdy acknowledges main shortcoming vs. Seahawks

The San Francisco 49ers suffered a tough 41-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, ending their season prematurely in the NFC Divisional Round as they couldn’t get anything going on either side of the ball.

It was a game that the 49ers needed a fast start in, and that just didn’t happen. San Francisco gave up a touchdown on the opening kickoff and quickly fell behind 17-0 after one quarter before things got ugly by halftime.

Offensively, the 49ers were hoping for a much better day than the one they had two weeks prior against the Seahawks in Week 18, when they conjured up just 173 yards of total offense. They had 236 on Saturday, but averaged even fewer yards per play as they had zero explosive days after the play.

Speaking after the game, quarterback Brock Purdy lamented the offensive effort, acknowledging where the team fell short for the second time against the Seahawks.

“It’s no secret in terms of their style of play. It’s try to make the quarterback check it down and play deep to short,” Purdy said. “And then, within that, have a good pass rush. And that’s a good defense, man. Like, it’s a smart way to play. And bring some pressure and stuff also, and try to make them mess up. They did a good job with that. I do think there were still some (opportunities) for us to stay on the field and grit it out. Those are kind of the wins that we’ve done in the past, too. But tonight just wasn’t our night with that. It’s a tip of the cap to them, though.”

“[They have our number because] probably just what I just said, in terms of you really have to play smart football, check the ball down and stay on the field on third downs,” Purdy added. “And they’re a kind of defense, they’re not going to give up the big shot plays, or when you have one-on-one match-ups and you capitalize, you get all the yards off of it. They’re going to play soft zone and make you go through your read and check it down, and a gain of six, seven yards, and really play that the whole game. And so they’ve done a good job with that. I think for all of us, including myself, we’ve got to understand that when we’re going against these guys — and that’s why it’s crucial to capitalize on third downs and stay on the field.”

Purdy kept the 49ers alive in that game by extending plays and moving well in the pocket to avoid sacks. If there was one area he could’ve (and needed to) improve on, it was taking the checkdowns, which were open for a good part of the game.

With the 49ers just getting zero explosives and not even many of their regular intermediate beaters, they were going to have to move the ball taking short gain after short gain, which isn’t the best formula for success.

Taking the checkdowns more often probably doesn’t change the overall outcome of the game. But it’s a learning lesson for next year for Purdy, as he continues to try to navigate head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...s-seattle-seahawks-nfl-playoffs-kyle-shanahan

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

49ers Snap Counts & Grades: San Francisco’s season ends with a loud thud in Seattle

The San Francisco 49ers’ season came to a screeching halt after a 41-6 loss to Seattle in the NFC Divisional round. The opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown, and it felt like the 49ers couldn’t climb out of the early hole all game. It only got worse as the 49ers’ offense doubled their scoring output from their Week 18 matchup with Seattle and scored six points.

The offseason is now filled with questions about the roster and how the 49ers can keep up in the NFC West arms race with Los Angeles and Seattle, who will face off in the NFC Championship Game.

Let’s look at the snap counts and grades from Saturday’s game, according to Pro Football Focus:

Offense

Quarterback

Brock Purdy 51 (59.3)

Mac Jones 9 (55.8)

Purdy was under siege all game, running from the Seahawks’ front four. We’ve all seen the ridiculous stat of Purdy running for over 400 yards behind the line of scrimmage on scrambles. Purdy had two turnovers, including a sack and a fumble, but the game was well out of reach. Although Purdy was only sacked twice, his pressure-to-sack percentage was 10% with 20 pressures on dropbacks.

Running Back

Christian McCaffrey 31 (62.8)

Kyle Juszczyk 31 (66.4)

Brian Robinson Jr 15 (48.6)

Jordan James 14 (74.4)

It’s never a good sign when your quarterback leads the team in rushing yards, but McCaffrey suffered a shoulder injury during the game and tried to fight through it. Brian Robinson finished with four yards on three carries. The bright side is rookie Jordan James touched the football for the first time in his career and finished with 28 yards on six carries. The fourth down option call in the first quarter was an indication of how the day would go for the 49ers on offense.

Wide Receiver

Jauan Jennings 47 (55.5)

Ricky Pearsall 42 (51.6)

Kendrick Bourne 24 (52.5)

Demarcus Robinson 24 (54.4)

Skyy Moore 9 (54.6)

Between the five receivers who ran routes on Saturday, the group totaled three catches for 24 yards. Twenty-three of those yards belonged to Jennings, with Robinson accounting for the other one. Pearsall returned but was unable to bring in either of his two targets, including a diving attempt that was initially ruled a catch but overturned.

The 49ers have to address the wide receiver room in the draft and in free agency. The current group lacks speed, and Seattle’s defense was never challenged.

Tight End

Luke Farrell 34 (39.7)

Jake Tonges 29 (90.3)

Filling in for George Kittle, Tonges was the 49ers’ leading receiver with five catches for 59 yards, but coughed up the football with a costly fumble as the 49ers were trying to climb back into the game. Tonges ended up with an injury of his own, which is why Farrell had the higher snap count. However, Farrell did not fight for the ball when Purdy targeted him, which led to an interception. His other target was a catch for one yard.

Offensive Line

Spencer Burford 60 (43.5)

Colton McKivitz 60 (75.7)

Dominick Puni 57 (54.4)

Jake Brendel 57 (65.5)

Trent Williams 57 (72.6)

Connor Colby 3 (80.7)

Matt Hennessey 3 (60.7)

Austen Pleasants 3 (58.3)

The offensive line had a rough day at the office. Burford led the team with six pressures allowed, five hurries, and a QB hit. PFF graded his pass blocking at 38.8. McKivitz was second with five pressures and four hurries allowed. The two sacks were charged to McKivitz and Puni. Brendel and Williams both allowed two pressures, but finished with the two highest pass blocking grades at 75.7 for Brendel and 86.9 for Williams.

The good news is that Williams confirmed he will return next season, but the 49ers have to take a hard look at the offensive line this offseason.

Defense

Defensive Line

Alfred Collins 27 (26.5)

CJ West 26 (29.9)

Sam Okuayinonu 25 (49.9)

Keion White 25 (61.1)

Jordan Elliott 25 (49.6)

Kalia Davis 24 (55.8)

Clelin Ferrell 23 (60.4)

Bryce Huff 21 (53.8)

Yetur Gross-Matos 18 (50.5)

While the 49ers did total two sacks, one of them was given to Malik Mustapha. Of the nine pressures, seven were credited to the defensive line. Okuayinonu finished with a team-high two pressures and hurries. Clelin Ferrell led the defensive line with two defensive stops. Elliott led the team with a 71.8 pass rushing grade, and rookie CJ West was right behind him at 71.4 and recorded the other sack for the 49ers.

Linebacker

Eric Kendricks 53 (53.8)

Dee Winters 45 (57.1)

Garret Wallow (42.6)

Curtis Robinson 6 (59.9)

Winters led the team with seven tackles and a tackling grade of 81.1. Eric Kendricks was second with a tackling grade of 80.2 and six tackles. Winters also generated two pressures, a QB hit and a hurry—Kendricks and Winters combined for seven defensive stops.

Secondary

Malik Mustapha 53 (56.9)

Marques Sigle 53 (27.9)

Deommodore Lenoir (78.4)

Renardo Green 50 (45.7)

Upton Stout 18 (64.0)

Darrell Luter Jr 4 (25.8)

Jason Pinnock 1 (60.7)

Lenoir finished with the highest coverage grade at 76.2 and allowed one catch on two targets for four yards. The story was Kyle Shanahan benching Renardo Green for a few plays, and Seattle capitalized by targeting Darrell Luter Jr for a Jaxon Smith-Njigba touchdown. Green would return, and Shanahan said he was “coaching” the cornerback.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/genera...iscos-season-ends-with-a-loud-thud-in-seattle