QB · FA · 34 yrs · exp 12 · Eastern Illinois
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Jimmy Garoppolo is reportedly considering returning to the NFL in 2026 after initially thinking about retirement. The Rams, with Stetson Bennett as their backup and Ty Simpson a highly drafted rookie, could potentially use Garoppolo's experience if Matthew Stafford were to miss time, though his desire for playing time might lead him to other teams
Free agent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo considered retirement during the offseason, but Garoppolo has now decided he will come back to play in the right situation, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports. Garafolo noted that nothing is imminent, and it might take a quarterback injury for Garoppolo to sign somewhere. Garoppolo spent the past two seasons with the Rams as Matthew Stafford’s backup. Coach Sean McVay has kept the door open to Garoppolo’s return despite the team’s first-round selection of Ty Simpson. Garoppolo, 34, was a second-round pick of the Patriots in 2014 and also has played for the 49ers and Raiders in his 12 seasons. He has appeared in 85 games with 64 starts -- 55 coming with the 49ers — and is 43-21 as a starter. Garoppolo has totaled 15,828 passing yards, 96 touchdowns and 52 interceptions
Free agent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo considered retirement during the offseason, but Garoppolo has now decided he will come back to play in the right situation, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports. Garafolo noted that nothing is imminent, and it might take a quarterback injury for Garoppolo to sign somewhere. Garoppolo spent the past two seasons with the Rams as Matthew Stafford 's backup. Coach Sean McVay has kept the door open to Garoppolo's return despite the team's first-round selection of Ty Simpson . Garoppolo, 34, was a second-round pick of the Patriots in 2014 and also has played for the 49ers and Raiders in his 12 seasons. He has appeared in 85 games with 64 starts -- 55 coming with the 49ers — and is 43-21 as a starter. Garoppolo has totaled 15,828 passing yards, 96 touchdowns and 52 interceptions
Derek Carr is open to returning to the NFL for the right situation, and if his dream is to win a Super Bowl and get his game straight by finally playing with a great team, then the Los Angeles Rams could be the “special” opportunity that the veteran quarterback says he needs right now. Appearing on Good Morning Football on Friday, Carr said that teams have reached out to him to gauge his interest in playing in 2026, and the quarterback said, “I’ll never say never, but it would take a special situation,” noting that a few teams contact him. He added that he’s at the point that “I just want to win. I want to win.” The Rams are probably going to win a lot of games next season and they could use a veteran backup, even if the rumors are that L.A. will move on with the options they have on the team right now. But signing Carr by offering him a backup role behind Matthew Stafford without having to compete against Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson for it would also be the ideal situation for the Rams. If Stafford gets injured, L.A. will have a legitimate replacement option already on the depth chart. If Carr’s intention is to rebuild his career and experience real success for the first time in his career, then following the same path as Baker Mayfield and learning from Sean McVay and Stafford should be his goal. There are still three weeks before training camp starts to make it happen. So he’s clearly not going to play for the Browns or the Cardinals. The Rams wanted to bring back Jimmy Garoppolo for another year, giving Simpson a full season to develop behind the scenes, but the veteran is still contemplating retirement and has no plans to return to L.A. that we know about. Carr last played in the NFL with the Saints in 2024, throwing 15 touchdowns in 10 games. He’s 35, which is still young enough for Carr to spend one year on the Rams as a backup and potentially hit the ground running if an opportunity presents itself in 2027; just think of how it worked for Sam Darnold when he signed with the 49ers in 2023. He has since won 14 games with two different teams. Darnold is much younger than Carr, but he’ll be much more attractive as a free agent in 2027 if he plays with a winner—even as a backup, potentially snagging a couple of starts along the way—than if he plays for a bad team or just stays home all year. If Carr just wants to win, as he says he does, then there is one blindingly clear option in front of him. It’s the L.A. Rams. But do the Rams want him and does Carr want to win, or does he want to start? He probably can’t have both
Look, I promise I’m not trying to pick at an old wound or wounds. Under Kyle Shanahan, the San Francisco 49ers have won plenty of regular-season games and big playoff games. Unfortunately, the ultimate prize has eluded them. Many factors contribute to a Super Bowl win, including luck, believe it or not. The NFL playoff format isn’t like other sports. Losing one game doesn’t mean you’re on to game two with a chance to even the series. One loss and the dream is over. The 49ers have had several formidable teams and chances to finish the job, but which 49ers team should have a Lombardi? The easy answer is all of them, but for this exercise, let’s choose one of the three options. The 2021 49ers won’t be included in this but should be noted as an honorable mention, with the team coming within minutes of meeting the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl. 2019 Following two losing seasons under Shanahan, the 2019 49ers raced out to a huge lead in the NFC before suffering their first loss to Seattle on MNF at Levi’s Stadium. It’s hard to say if this team was ahead of schedule, but the addition of Nick Bosa , Dre Greenlaw , and Deebo Samuel added juice to the roster, and all three were vital for the team at different points. We all can see Raheem Mostert tearing up the Packers ’ defense in the NFC Championship Game. In the Super Bowl, the 49ers held a ten-point lead before the dam broke, and the Chiefs ’ offense finished the job to win the first championship for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes . This loss is particularly heartbreaking due to the blown lead and the missed opportunities to close out the game. The 49ers’ pass rush of Bosa, DeForest Buckner , Arik Armstead , and Dee Ford is unlikely to be duplicated for the duration of the Shanahan era. Knowing this game was Joe Staley ’s final game as a 49er is brutal. 2022 The wildest season under Shanahan has to be 2022. The season began with Trey Lance starting before he broke his ankle. Jimmy Garoppolo , who was a cardio king at training camp that year, waiting for a trade, stepped in and kept the 49ers steady before breaking his foot and ending his season. That’s where the legend of Brock Purdy begins. The last pick in the draft took over against Miami , and the rest is history. The 49ers rolled over Seattle in the Wild Card round and survived against Dallas in the Divisional round. The stage was set for a battle against Philadelphia with a trip to the Super Bowl and a rematch with the Chiefs on the line. Purdy was injured early in the game, as was his backup, Josh Johnson, and the 49ers ran out of quarterbacks. The three-quarterback rule was born that day, but the 49ers looked primed to roll into the Super Bowl. 2022 is the biggest “what if” season for the 49ers under Shanahan. 2023 This season has my vote. The 49ers had the best injury luck under Shanahan until the Super Bowl, where Jon Feliciano and Dre Greenlaw were knocked out of the game. Think about this: the 49ers lost three games in 2023, and all three were in the same streak. Other than that, the regular season was flawless. Christian McCaffrey was unstoppable, Purdy played some of his best football, a wide receiver wearing number 11 was insanely efficient, and the 49ers even pushed back on the “can’t come back” narrative with two victories in the playoffs, including the insane NFC Championship comeback against Detroit . The Super Bowl had everything, literally. Jauan Jennings threw a touchdown pass; McCaffrey fumbled on the opening drive; the 49ers’ defense held strong for the majority of the game; Ji’Ayir Brown intercepted Mahomes; Jake Moody set the Super Bowl record for the longest field goal; Ray-Ray McCloud had a costly special teams error, and the 49ers became the first team to score in overtime and lose in a Super Bowl. Unfortunately, things will never line up as perfectly as they did in 2o23. It felt like the team was destined to finish the job after a wonderful season. Great, now I’m sad. Which 49ers te [... truncated ...]
Ty Simpson or Stetson Bennett? Stetson Bennett or Ty Simpson? Who will win the backup quarterback role for the Los Angeles Rams? We know that Matthew Stafford has the starting gig locked up, but behind him? Anyone’s guess. It’s been a little while since the Rams didn’t have some type of backup QB with NFL experience. At this time, neither Simpson or Bennett have started in a NFL game. Though Bennett does have some preseason experience. It’s only June, so there is time, but I am excited to see which quarterbacks get the work in preseason. I’ll be excited and curious to see which quarterback the Rams go with as their backup. It could be one of the most important decisions they make in the offseason depending on how Stafford can hold up throughout 2026. It’s Wednesday. Some call it Hump Day. Some call it not Friday, yet. Whatever you call it, thank you for checking out Turf Show Times and have a great Wednesday! “The Athletic’s Nate Atkins says neither Ty Simpson or Stetson Bennett have been able to “stand out ahead of the other” in the Rams quarterback room. With Matthew Stafford likely to have another limited training camp as he manages a back issue for the second straight year, rookie No. 13 pick Ty Simpson and former fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett are battling for the backup role. Though the team wants Jimmy Garoppolo back, the vet is mulling retirement, leading to one of these two unproven arms to be thrust into the backup quarterback role. Atkins reports Bennett took reps first in Stafford’s two missed practices in minicamp but neither Bennett nor Simpson “were able to stand out ahead of the other.” The Rams consider the backup role a significant void “with Stafford’s need to take time off and with the risk from each time Stafford takes a hit”, according to Atkins. A season in which Stafford misses time due to injury already decreases the Rams’ contention odds and an unprepared Simpson or Bennett as QB2 would be costly. Both will have time for developmental reps in camp and Simpson is worth rostering in Dynasty fantasy football formats. – Aditya Fuldeore “ “Their emergence ended the Rams’ rebuild in a matter of months, leading to playoff appearances in all three seasons they’ve been with the team and continuously building on the previous season’s successes. Before players like Puka Nacua , Kobie Turner , Byron Young , and others became household names, it was clear to the players already in the building that the class was special. Former Rams running back and Super Bowl LVI champion Darrell Henderson Jr . spoke to FootballbyNikko about the 2023 class, providing his insights on the work they did early on and how their ability to block out noise and focus on their work led to winning seasons.” “Now, we have learned that controversial quarterback Brendan Sorsby will likely be involved in that draft after the NFL announced it won’t hold the supplemental draft for Sorsby this year. Sorsby, who made bets on his college team and has a self-admitted gambling issue, attempted to play college football this season, using the court system to maintain his eligibility. The college football world nearly revolted, and now Sorsby will not play in college or the NFL this season.”
The NFL officially released training camp reporting dates and joint practice schedules, giving fans their first look at how the 2026 preseason will unfold across California and the West Coast. For the Los Angeles Rams , Los Angeles Chargers , San Francisco 49ers , and Las Vegas Raiders , training camp is now just weeks away. The Rams will report to Loyola Marymount University on July 25 when both veterans and rookies arrive for training camp. Sean McVay’s team will host two notable joint practices this summer: Aug. 11 vs. Dallas Cowboys Aug. 20 vs. New Orleans Saints Fans can attend open Rams practices at LMU with free tickets through the team’s official training camp portal . The Chargers will begin camp at The Bolt in El Segundo with rookies reporting July 23 and veterans arriving July 28. Los Angeles will hold one official joint practice: Aug. 18 vs. San Francisco 49ers The session will take place at “The Bolt,” the Chargers’ facility before the teams meet in a preseason game two days later. Attendance is capped at 2,000 fans per practice, with free registration required . The 49ers will be among the busiest teams in California this summer. Rookies report July 18, while veterans arrive July 28 at the team’s Santa Clara headquarters. San Francisco ’s joint practice schedule includes: Aug. 11 vs. Tennessee Titans (Santa Clara) Aug. 18 at Los Angeles Chargers (El Segundo) Tickets for open practices at the SAP Performance Facility are sold through the team’s training camp portal , with proceeds benefiting the 49ers Foundation. The Raiders will open camp at their Henderson, Nevada facility with rookies reporting July 23 and veterans on July 28. Las Vegas will conduct one joint practice: Aug. 18 at Houston Texans Because the session takes place in Houston, attendance information will be handled through the Texans organization . One of California’s longest-running NFL traditions will continue for one last summer. The Dallas Cowboys will once again hold training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, with both rookies and veterans reporting July 28. However, 2026 marks the franchise’s final training camp in Southern California before relocating future camps to San Antonio. The Cowboys will host joint practices against the Rams on Aug. 11 and the Saints on Aug. 18. Admission to Cowboys camp remains free and available on a first-come, first-served basis, though fans are encouraged to arrive early due to limited capacity. With training camps opening in mid-to-late July and multiple joint practices featuring playoff contenders, the countdown to the 2026 NFL season has officially begun. California Post News : Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , X , YouTube , WhatsApp , LinkedIn California Post Sports Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube , X California Post Opinion California Post Newsletters : Sign up here! California Post App : Download here! Home delivery : Sign up here! Page Six Hollywood : Sign up here!
Roster-building never really ends for NFL teams, even in the heat of summer when players are away and practice fields are ghost towns. The New York Giants have done a lot this offseason, remaking their defense and special teams, adding several wide receivers who will compete for jobs, and remaking their defensive and offensive lines. Still, there is always more that could be done. Is there ONE move the Giants could, or should, make to upgrade their roster before training camp begins in late July? NFL.com recently revisited its list of the top 101 free agents who entered the offseason. Eleven of those players remain unsigned. They are: DE Joey Bosa WR Stefon Diggs WR Deebo Samuel G Kevin Zeitler Edge Haasan Reddick TE Darren Waller CB Trevon Diggs Edge Kyle Van Noy QB Jimmy Garoppolo OT Taylor Decker Edge Jadeveon Clowney From that list, is there a player you would like to see in a Giants’ jersey when training camp opens in West Virginia? For me, there are four possibilities. Let’s go through them. NFL Media’s Gregg Rosenthal writes: Still an excellent route runner and third-down option, Diggs would have been initially ranked higher as a short-term play if not for his then-pending legal matter . Recently, he’s been found not guilty and won’t be disciplined by the NFL , opening the door for a potential signing. The Giants added two wide receivers — Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III — early in free agency. They added three more — Odell Beckham Jr. , JuJu Smith-Schuster , Braxton Berrios — at the beginning of June. Diggs, who turns 33 in November, is clearly better than any of them. Whatever you think of Diggs’ legal issues, he has been cleared and is eligible to sign. The rash of signings a few weeks ago suggests the Giants are concerned they might not have enough at wide receiver. Diggs caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards for the New England Patriots a year ago. The only time Diggs has not surpassed 1,000 receiving yards was 2024, when he played in just eight games. He would be WR2 for the Giants behind Nabers no matter who else is on the roster. No player on this list would help Jaxson Dart more than Diggs. How likely is it that the Giants would sign Diggs? Not very, to be honest. The Giants are likely on the upswing, but at this point in his career Diggs is a mercenary looking for the team that gives him the best shot at a Super Bowl ring. In 2026, that is probably not the Giants. Rosenthal writes: Deebo looked like his old self in Washington for stretches. His burst seems to come and go these days, so a role with reduced snaps could maximize his impact. Again, we return to the argument I just made with Diggs. Samuel is not as good as Diggs. He isn’t as dynamic or multi-talented as he was during his prime with the San Francisco 49ers . Still, he caught 72 passes last season, the second-most in his career, for more than 700 yards. He, like Diggs, would be WR2 for the Giants behind Nabers. Also like Diggs, this is a move I don’t see as likely. The Giants drafted Colton Hood in Round 2, and I wouldn’t look at Diggs, younger brother of Stefon, as a player I would sign expecting him to stand in the way of Hood’s development. If Hood earns the reps opposite Paulson Adebo , he should get them. And I believe he will. Thing is, the Giants have two reclamation projects — Greg Newsome and Deonte Banks — competing with Hood for the starting job opposite Adebo. The upside with Diggs, who turns 28 in September, is higher than with either Newsome or Banks. Diggs’ 11-interception All-Pro season with the Dallas Cowboys came way back in 2021, but it happened. Diggs has played in just 22 games over the past three seasons due to injuries, the most severe of which was a left ACL tear in 2023. Most likely, Diggs is not ever going to approach that 2021 season again. The real question is whether Diggs would be an upgrade over Newsome or Banks. Diggs would likely be available for a veteran minimum deal. The Giants don’ [... truncated ...]
Adds: Jimmy Garoppolo. Drops: Dyami Brown
Aidan O’Connell has bounced up and down the Las Vegas Raiders’ depth chart pretty much from the moment he was drafted. When the 2023 fourth-round pick was first added to the Raiders’ roster , he was the third-string quarterback behind Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer . But after a strong preseason, while the other two quarterbacks struggled during the regular season and Josh McDaniels was eventually fired as head coach, O’Connell surpassed Garoppolo and Hoyer, making 10 starts as a rookie. The Purdue product played well enough to post a 5-5 record as a starter but not good enough to be handed the job moving forward. So, the Raiders signed Gardner Minshew to compete with O’Connell in 2024, with the former winning the battle in training camp. However, Minshew struggled and Antonio Pierce turned to O’Connell in Week 6, only for the latter to suffer an injury two weeks later and have a stint on injured reserve. Then, O’Connell spent all of last season as the third-stringer behind Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett , playing in just one game and for his third head coach in as many years, Pete Carroll, who was eventually fired. Between bouncing back and forth between the top and bottom of the depht chart, and having going on four head coaches and seven offensive coordinators (inlcuding interims), the four-year pro has been through the wringer in Las Vegas . “I joke that I had one play caller and one head coach my entire six years at Purdue, and so I think by the law of averages, I think something like this was coming my way,” O’Connell, after minicamp on June 10, said of the Raiders’ coaching turnover. “Obviously, didn’t expect it to be like this, but I’ve learned there are no wasted years in the NFL. Even when you’re losing, even when things are hard, you can still learn a lot. And I’ve learned a lot, even last year. “I only played in our last game for three quarters but learned a bunch just sitting on the sideline and watching. And being able to interact with a lot of coordinators I think has been good for me to really learn what I like, to learn what I think is the best way to play quarterback, the best way to play football. “…You can complain about it, [but] I really realize people really don’t care about that very much. Like people talk about a little bit having a lot of coordinators or coaches, but if I go out there and throw interceptions, no one’s really feeling bad for me. You got to produce in the NFL, and so besides my wife and my parents, no one’s really going to feel bad for me. So, I try to go out there and compete, no matter who’s calling plays or who’s out there.” O’Connell certainly is taking the situation in stride and saying all the right things. But that doesn’t change the fact that the days of him potentially being the Raiders’ quarterback of the future are likely over. While entering the season as a backup—and a third-stringer at that—isn’t foreign to him, this training camp will be different because the future in the franchise is sitting in the meeting room with him. If Las Vegas signing Kirk Cousins ahead of the 2026 NFL draft wasn’t a strong enough sign that the 2023 fourth-rounder isn’t in Klint Kubiak’s long-term plans, then using the No. 1 pick on Fernando Mendoza is. Facing another situation where he’s looking at being a third-stringer can be mentally draining, especially for someone who once had a legitmate shot at starting. But O’Connell seems to be maintaining his edge. “I’ve been competing basically every year since I was in high school, and so it’s really nothing new to me,” the backup quarterback replied when asked about the Raiders adding two QBs in the offseason. “Obviously, it’s new people, it’s a new playbook, but besides that, it’s still competing, trying to put your best foot forward every day, and quite literally, the only thing I can do is do my best. And so, just trying to focus on that, be a great teammate, and let it play out how it will.” For a someone at the bottom of the roster, p [... truncated ...]
Matthew Stafford missed the entirety of training camp and multiple ensuing weeks of practice last season and then went on to win the NFL’s MVP award and lead his team to the NFC Championship game. The Los Angeles Rams seem to be drawing one conclusion from last year’s back injury scare: Stafford does not need training camp. The Rams are already managing the veteran QB’s workload during organized team activities (OTA’s). Stetson Bennett and rookie first-rounder Ty Simpson stand to benefit from additional practice reps, especially those spent with the first string. But Bennett seems to have taken a step forward in his fourth season. He recently drew praise from Sean McVay. This excerpt is from Stu Jackson’s recent post on the team website that summarizes the five takeaways from OTA’s: A spring of “tremendeous growth” for fourth-year QB Stetson Bennett Between last year’s backup Jimmy Garoppolo being unsigned and contemplating retirement, and the plan the Rams had for Stafford this spring, Bennett received more reps than he normally would… “I’ve seen tremendous growth,” McVay said. “Obviously, with Matthew not being out here based on the plan and the schedule that we’ve kind of thought was going to be best for him for now and for the long term, Stetson’s gotten a lot more reps than he would’ve otherwise. I think he’s done a really nice job. He’s earning the confidence of his teammates in terms of commanding the huddle. Then, he’s done a lot of good stuff in terms of reading with his feet. [Associate Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach] Dave Ragone does such a good job with those guys as a whole but both he and Ty have had good growth. Stetson especially, I think he’s had a really good last couple of weeks, and I’ve been proud of him.” If the idea that Stafford needs minimal training camp reps in order to hit the regular season running holds true, an increased workload for both Bennett and Simpson could pay substantial dividends in both the short and long term for the Rams. Simpson is the team’s future franchise quarterback once Stafford decides to retire and step away. Whether Simpson is second or third string is irrelevant. Reserve quarterbacks often do not develop behind the scenes because there are not enough practice reps to go around. It’s a positive sign and a potential accelerant of Simpson’s career that the Rams can put him on the field and allow him to patiently grow in a controlled environment. And we should take reported OTA performances with a grain of salt; however, McVay’s praise of Bennett probably suggests that the fourth-year quarterback will enter the 2026 season as Stafford’s primary backup. That is not a rejection of the rookie Simpson. Bad teams often thrust young quarterbacks onto the field before they are ready and capsize the developmental arc of their careers. Bennett himself, without having much on-field play to evaluate, is a testament to patient growth. He’s been on the roster for two full years without playing a snap in a regular season game. Should Matthew Stafford start the season slow, we can ask the question of whether resting him throughout OTA’s and training camp were the correct decision. Until then, we should appreciate the increased opportunity for Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson to continue developing behind the scenes
Jimmy Garoppolo remains a free agent as he contemplates retirement. The Rams drafted Ty Simpson in the first round, but Stetson Bennett could end up being the backup to Matthew Stafford. With the Rams limiting Stafford’s offseason work, Bennett received more reps than he normally would have. Rams coach Sean McVay was pleased with where Bennett is heading into training camp. “I’ve seen tremendous growth ,” McVay said, via Stu Jackson of the team website. “I think he’s done a really nice job. He’s earning the confidence of his teammates in terms of commanding the huddle. Then, he’s done a lot of good stuff in terms of reading with his feet. [Associate coordinator/quarterbacks coach] Dave Ragone does such a good job with those guys as a whole, but both he and Ty have had good growth. Stetson especially, I think he’s had a really good last couple of weeks, and I’ve been proud of him.” The Rams drafted Bennett in the fourth round in 2023, but he has yet to make his regular-season debut
Drops: Jimmy Garoppolo
Since Brock Purdy was drafted with the 262nd pick of the NFL Draft by the 49ers in 2022, he has gone from Mr. Irrelevant to relevant . On Saturday morning, former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith was a guest on the Krueg Show, hosted by Larry Krueger. When Smith was asked about what makes Purdy stand out as a quarterback, he was quick to answer. “So prepared, and I think had such great perspective on the game, right? Like this is a guy that could already process and compartmentalize,” Smith said. “I think, naturally, he’s a super mature kid. Like anyone that has been around Brock, I’m blown away when I would talk to him for the first time I’m like ‘Are you 35 or 40?’ he just seems so much older, he has such great perspective on things.” Unlike Purdy, Smith was crowned as Mr. Relevant after he was selected first overall by the 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft. Smith played 14 years in the NFL, seven of them with the 49ers, including in 2011 when the 49ers went to the Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens . Smith shared snaps at quarterback that year with Colin Kaepernick and would eventually sit on the bench as Kaepernick would become the starting quarterback. Similar to Kaepernick, Purdy found himself as San Francisco ’s starting quarterback during his rookie year after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo went down with injuries. In his first season, Purdy led the 49ers to the NFC championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles . Purdy was unable to finish the game after exiting early due to an elbow injury, following a sack by defensive end Haason Reddick . California Post News : Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , X , YouTube , WhatsApp , LinkedIn California Post Sports Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube , X California Post Opinion California Post Newsletters : Sign up here! California Post App : Download here! Home delivery : Sign up here! Page Six Hollywood : Sign up here! In his second season, Purdy had a Pro Bowl season, throwing for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl loss against the Kansas City Chiefs . “This is what I don’t think people realize: this guy pushes the ball downfield. When you look at the down the field from the quarterback as far as attempts, completions, accuracy, I mean this guy leads the league in the NFL every year in every one of those categories,” Smith said. “This is the guy that battles the game manager thing. Like he’s just a product of the system. It just couldn’t be further from the truth.” Purdy threw for over 3,000 yards the next year, but didn’t match his usual production last season, throwing for 2,167 yards and 20 touchdowns. But even in a down year, that was also filled with injuries in the 49ers locker room, Purdy led the team to a playoff victory over the Eagles and would eventually be eliminated by the Seahawks in the divisional round
SB Nation released its power rankings after the Myles Garrett trade shocked the NFL world on Monday. The San Francisco 49ers were listed among the seven teams vying for the Super Bowl this season: Super Bowl Contenders The Los Angeles Rams did not have too far to climb in these rankings, given where they were just a few weeks ago. We already had the Rams No. 2 in our post-draft power rankings. But the trade for Myles Garrett moved them as high as possible. When you acquire a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, you get better. And after slotting in at No. 2 in the post-NFL Draft power rankings, the Rams are now in the top spot, dropping their NFC West rivals down to No. 2. Of course, the games are won on the field in the fall, now in the power rankings in June. 7. Los Angeles Chargers 6. San Francisco 49ers 5. Philadelphia Eagles 4. Denver Broncos 3. Buffalo Bills 2. Seattle Seahawks 1. Los Angeles Rams Process of elimination says yes. We rarely see Super Bowl champions pick up where they left off. The Seahawks will remain competitive, but history says their defense won’t be historic in back-to-back years. The Eagles traded away A.J. Brown . His replacement, rookie Makai Lemon, suffered a soft-tissue injury and won’t practice for the rest of OTAs. That’s another defense that should see a fair amount of regression. Both teams taking a step back opens the door for teams like the Packers , Lions, Cowboys, and the 49ers. Injuries once again got the best of the 49ers last season. They battled attrition as much as they battled their opponent on the field. The offseason additions and players returning from injury are enough to catapult the team right back into the mix of contenders. The Niners’ record last season did not reflect the product on the field. We have two seasons of evidence from recent history that show what a Super Bowl roster looked like. From 2022 through 2023, the 49ers were the Monstars from Space Jam. They were the Avengers. Those rosters weren’t just top-heavy. Their depth chart was littered with reliable role players. Player development will determine whether the 49ers are Super Bowl contenders this season. The foundation of Brock Purdy , Christian McCaffrey , Mike Evans , George Kittle , Trent Williams , Nick Bosa , and Fred Warner rivals, if not exceeds, any team. The team needs a full season out of Ricky Pearsall and Mykell Williams. They need their former first-rounders to play up to their potential. Second-rounders like Renardo Green and Alfred Collins need to take the next step. You’re hoping veterans like Osa Odighizuwa take pressure off Collins and Williams. He should also allow Gracen Halton and Romello Height to remain in part-time/pass-rush roles. Unlike the previous two seasons, the depth complements the starters. For the 49ers to peak, a wild card will need to emerge. That may come in the form of one of the backup running backs, a Jacob Cowing breakout, or Malik Mustapha morphing into the 2022 version of Talanoa Hufanga . The top-end talent and coaching make the 49ers a Super Bowl contender. Injury luck and player development will determine how deep of a playoff run this team makes
The San Francisco 49ers have a pair of OTA practices that’ll be open to the media this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. But nothing that’ll take place in June comes close to the regular or postseason. Let’s go down memory lane today and discuss some of the team’s most improbable victories this decade. The Niners have found themselves in some of the most entertaining games. They haven’t always ended up on the right side of the outcome, but that doesn’t take away from the excitement. Today we ask: Improbable is the word doing the heavy lifting here. Right off the bat, I’m crossing out any victories that took place in 2022 or 2023. Why? Well, those teams had loaded rosters. The talent discrepancy with the coaches in the building made those two seasons feel like a video game. That’s not to take away from anything that took place during those two years, but any win that happened almost felt like it was supposed to happen, regardless of the rollercoaster that was during the 60 minutes of the game. I’m going to 2021—a playoff game between Jimmy Garoppolo and Aaron Rodgers . The 49ers traveled to Lambeau Field as nearly touchdown underdogs against a top-3 offense that was undefeated at home. The Packers had only one home game that season decided by less than a touchdown. That’s how dominant they were at home. If you look at the possessions in the box score for the 49ers that game, you would have thought it would have been another double-digit win for Rodgers and company: 3 and out, -11 yards 3 and out, 0 yards 3 and out, -1 yard 3 and out, -3 yards INT on 1st & goal Field goal (started at midfield after Deebo Samuel ’s long kickoff return) 3 and out, -1 yard Turnover on downs Field goal after picking up 44 yards Calling the 49ers offense inept that day would be putting it politely. They threw for 106 yards. They converted 36 percent of their third downs. They were 0-for-3 in the red zone, including that costly interception. Nothing that transpired, at least on this side of the ball, suggested that the 49ers had any business winning. Thankfully, there are two other phases of the game. The Packers scored on their opening drive, and you may have thought the game would turn into a blowout. Fred Warner saved the day on the next drive after forcing a fumble after the Packers made it into San Francisco ’s territory. There would be six consecutive punts after that turnover. Deebo Samuel’s magical season continued to give the 49ers life after a 45-yard kickoff return and an 18-yard catch-and-run that led to a Robbie Gould field goal to put the 49ers on the board and trim the Packers’ lead to four at the time. The Packers held the ball for the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter on a drive that felt like it was death by 1,000 cuts for the 49ers defense. After picking on Emmanuel Moseley , Arik Armstead sacked Rodgers on third and goal to force a field goal and keep the Niners in the game. Elijah Mitchell lost a yard on 4th & 1, meaning the Niners would need a stop and a miracle to win the game the way the offense had played up to that point. The football gods gave them both. Armstead sacked Rodgers again on third down. Jordan Willis blocked the Packers punt, and Talanoa Hufanga scooped and scored to tie the game at 10. Green Bay was still shell-shocked, and that showed on their next possession. A quick three-and-out left enough time for the 49ers to get into Gould’s range. On 3rd & 7 from Green Bay’s 38, Deebo ran for nine yards to ice the game, allowing the Niners to run the clock to four seconds and Gould to make the improbable probable. Is there a game that tops that in recent memory for the 49ers?
Matthew Stafford faces a complex decision regarding his potential retirement from the Los Angeles Rams. While the team wants him to finish on his own terms, his continued play impacts the development of young quarterback Ty Simpson. The article draws parallels to other veteran quarterbacks like Aaron Donald, Peyton Manning, and Matt Ryan, highlighting the risks of playing too long versus retiring prematurely
For the Arizona Cardinals the odd holdout from their starter who finished with a 1-11 record has created a lot of conversation around the idea of bumping up his pay. While everyone looks at it from the perspective of if he is the starter once again heading into the season, he deserves to be paid more than his current amount, but there is always this weird caveat. The caveat showed up in NFL.com’s piece on the quarterback battles in the NFL, where the Cardinals quarterback battle was highlighted, and they came to the same conclusion almost everyone has as well: PREDICTED OUTCOME: Brissett gets a raise and starts in Week 1; Beck eventually starts several games. There was a lot of good analysis in there as well, so I highly recommend checking out the full article, but I wanted to just focus on the predicted outcome, which seems nearly universal from most fans/pundits. If the outcome that let’s just say 98% of people are expecting is that Beck starts games this year, which is almost going to assuredly happen because the team is bad, then what exactly are the Cardinals paying Brissett for? If the expectation is that Brissett won’t play the whole season, then I guess the question for the Cardinals becomes… what is the point? You unfortunately made it obvious this offseason that you hade other people in mind at the position, making overtures with both Malik Willis and Jimmy Garoppolo . You drafted Carson Beck . If Jacoby wasn’t the plan A or B then what is the difference in plan C or D? Especially if the overall expectation is he won’t be the starter for 15+ games. This whole offseason has been a class on how not to handle things from a team who seemingly has no rudder or plan
It’s a topic that will bring up painful, emotional, and downright no-good memories. We asked San Francisco 49ers fans what one moment in history they would change for the franchise. Depending on your age range, the answer is easy. As randywildman pointed out, if you’re over the age of 40, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Roger Craig fumbling. That was among the most popular answers, and rightfully so. The Niners were on the doorstep of an opportunity to three-peat. That fourth quarter marked a turning point for the franchise. Joe Montana suffered an injury, paving the way for Steve Young. Unfortunately, the 49ers lost the game due to the fumble without allowing a touchdown. Pat Summerall’s infamous “there will be no three-peat” still haunts any 49ers fan who watched that game. User Seb summed up the pain, highlighting the Charles Haley trade, not handing the ball to Frank Gore near the goal line against the Ravens, Jimmy Garoppolo missing Emmanuel Sanders , and not blocking the Chiefs ’ best player near the goal line in the Super Bowl. Greg Roman of all people failing to run the ball remains confusing after all of these years. Knowing what we know about Jimmy and how he never caught on after he left the Niners, it’s more surprising in hindsight how successful the organization was with him under center. That probably speaks to how loaded the rest of the roster was. The options are endless, as Root2401er pointed out: Not let Mike Shanahan leave, promote him to head coach instead. Don’t extend JJ Stokes so we can keep Jerry Rice, that’s another. Maybe draft Pat Mahomes ? That might just have been a good idea. Maybe sign Tom Brady ? In today’s NFL, the 49ers would have gotten a ton of scrutiny for letting an offensive genius like Mike Shanahan walk. It’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which the team would pick a defensive mind like George Siefert over Shanahan. Siefert would end up coaching the 49ers through the 1996 season. Things worked out pretty well for Shanahan after he left. Then we have hindsight. For example, poo-pooing the Trey Lance draft pick. To this day, I still have no problem with the idea that you’re going to bring in a game-changing, athletic, rocket-armed quarterback. Lance was the opposite of what they had. It didn’t work out. That’s part of the game. But to act like the 49ers have struggled in the years without Lance is laughable. In 2022 and 20223, they were, in the most literal sense, the best teams in the NFL. That’s not saying there was luck involved there after hitting on Brock Purdy , but the foundation was laid for whichever quarterback to come in and shine. That’s not the only quarterback where there’s revisionist history. I think it’s fair to question why there wasn’t a quarterback selected in 2017. You’re a new regime. Deshaun Watson was outstanding in college with obvious NFL tools. In the draft community, Patrick Mahomes was looked at as an intriguing prospect. Wouldn’t you rather be wrong on a quarterback than any other position? Especially if that position is a tweener defensive lineman. I’d push back on the 2005 NFL Draft. Alex Smith was the definition of safe. He turned out to be better than that and worthy of the No. 1 overall pick. Of course, there was also a future Hall of Famer in that draft. So it’s easy to look back and say, “You shou’dve drafted Aaron Rodgers .” That roster was abysmal. The rookie version of Rodgers, who, remember, we never saw, was not flourishing in that offensive infrastructure. We can go through each decade and discuss several moments. This is one of the most storied franchises full of “What if?” moments. What ones did we miss? Scroll down and let us know in the comments
Drops: Jimmy Garoppolo
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