McCaffrey throws, catches, rushes for TDs, Niners rout Rams
Christian McCaffrey became the 11th player in NFL history with a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in one game, and the San Francisco 49ers extended their regular-season mastery over the Rams to four full years with a 31-14 victory over Los Angeles.
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Jones, Smith, Harris reconnect at Alabama's pro day No. 2
Patrick Surtain II and Mac Jones had the spotlight at Alabama's Pro Day, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)DeVonta Smith was there for quarterback Mac Jones once again, this time it was at Alabama's latest pro day. “He didn't have to do that,” Jones told the SEC Network, which aired the pro day. '”Jones showcased his arm strength a week after participating in the Crimson Tide's first pro day. “Mac was just on me like, ‘Bro, come catch, come catch, come catch,’” Smith told the network.
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With blockbuster trade, 49ers go all-in on rookie QB
The 49ers have made a big move to grab their quarterback of the future by trading up with Miami for the No. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)SANTA CLARA, Calif. – For San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, the biggest risk wasn't trading three first-round picks for the No. “It’s a risk every single year you go into an NFL season without one of those top five guys,” Shanahan said Monday in his first public comments since last week's big trade for the No. 12 when looking for a quarterback, Shanahan believes he will be able to grab the players who will eventually replace Jimmy Garoppolo as starter. San Francisco is 22-8 when Garoppolo starts compared to 7-27 with any other quarterback since Shanahan was hired.
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AP source: 49ers trade up for No. 3 pick from Dolphins
FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2019, file photo, Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores smiles during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Miami Gardens, Fla. At least four Miami Dolphins rookies are expected to see significant action in Sundays, Sept. 12, 2020, opener. 12 pick along with first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 and their compensatory third-rounder in 2022 to get the third overall pick. The Dolphins then immediately traded the 12th pick, the 123rd pick and their own 2022 first-rounder to Philadelphia for the No. The Dolphins have stockpiled draft picks since beginning a rebuilding project when Brian Flores was hired as coach two years ago. 3 overall pick, the Dolphins gave up their primary bargaining chip in a potential deal to acquire Watson.
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49ers hand Trent Williams richest contract ever at OL
FILE - San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) looks on prior to an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, in Glendale, Ariz., in this Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, file photo. The San Francisco 49ers locked up their biggest potential free agent for the long term by agreeing to give star left tackle Trent Williams the richest contract ever for an offensive lineman. (AP Photo/Jennifer Stewart, File)SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The San Francisco 49ers locked up their biggest potential free agent for the long term by agreeing to give star left tackle Trent Williams the richest contract ever for an offensive lineman. “Trent’s a game changer,” said fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who signed a five-year contract to stay in San Francisco earlier in the week. Williams was graded as the top left tackle by Pro Football Focus and is now being paid that way as well.
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Reid's 4th down approach could help Chiefs in Super Bowl
In this still image from video provided by the NFL, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks during Opening Night for the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. In a tight Super Bowl, that could make a big difference.”Reid’s decisions already made a difference this postseason with his most memorable call coming in the divisional round against Cleveland. You just don’t know what he’s going to do.”Arians did make a key decision earlier this postseason that helped the Bucs reach the Super Bowl. With 13 seconds left in the first half of the NFC title game, Arians went for it on fourth-and-4 from the Green Bay 45. “We didn’t come here to not take chances to win the game,” Arians said.
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Jets hire 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as coach
FILE - San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is shown during an NFL football game against Arizona Cardinals, in Santa Clara, Calif., in this Sept. 13, 2020, file photo. The search for a new coach continues for the New York Jets after they completed an in-person interview with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, without apparently reaching a deal. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)NEW YORK – The New York Jets were searching for a leader, someone who could bring a frustrated, playoff-starved franchise back to respectability. The Jets reached an agreement in principle with the popular and energetic San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Thursday night to hire him as their head coach. The 20th coach in franchise history, Saleh beat out Smith, Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Carolina offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Indianapolis defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, New Orleans defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn, former Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis, and Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.
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Friends as playoff foes: Packers' LaFleur faces Rams' McVay
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur and Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay say their friendship and shared history shouldn't have much of an impact on their teams’ upcoming NFC divisional playoff matchup. The top-seeded Packers (13-3) host the Rams (11-6) on Saturday with an NFC championship game berth at stake. San Francisco’s head coach is Kyle Shanahan, who worked at Washington with Matt LaFleur and McVay from 2010-13. LaFleur was the quarterbacks coach on Quinn’s Atlanta staff from 2015-16 and worked for Mike Vrabel at Tennessee in 2018. They reunited in 2017 when McVay became the Rams’ head coach and hired LaFleur.
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49ers pioneering assistant Katie Sowers won't return in 2021
FILE - In this Dec. 20, 2020, file photo, San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant Katie Sowers stands on the field during warmups before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. Sowers will not be returning to the 49ers in 2021 after becoming the first female coach to make it to the Super Bowl last year. A person familiar with the situation said the 34-year-old Sowers will leaving coach Kyle Shanahans staff where she worked closely with receivers coach Wes Welker. (AP Photo/Roger Steinman, File)Offensive assistant Katie Sowers, the first female coach to make it to the Super Bowl, will not be returning to the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. She followed Shanahan to San Francisco the following season and was hired as a full-time assistant in 2018, working extensively with the team’s wide receivers.
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Shanahan 'believes' Garoppolo will be 49ers QB in 2021
FILE - In this Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020 file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half of an NFL football game in Seattle. Jimmy Garoppolo isn't expected to take another snap this season for the San Francisco 49ers as a pair of high ankle sprains derailed most of his campaign. (AP Photo/Scott Eklund, File)Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t expected to take another snap this season for the San Francisco 49ers as a pair of high ankle sprains derailed most of his campaign. Despite the lost season, the 49ers remain publicly committed to Garoppolo as their quarterback for 2021, even tough he has remained healthy only once in three seasons as starter. But he points to the success San Francisco has had when Garoppolo has been healthy with a 22-8 record in those games since he arrived in 2017.
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Third-string QB Beathard throws 3 TDs, 49ers stun Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers running back Jeff Wilson (30) celebrates his touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals with quarterback C.J. If the Chicago Bears win their final two games, they will reach the playoffs because of a tiebreaker over the Cardinals. The 49ers (6-9) pulled ahead 14-6 in the third quarter on Beathard’s 9-yard touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Cardinals: LB Haason Reddick (hamstring) left the game in the first quarter, but returned early in the second quarter. UP NEXTThe 49ers play their final “home” game of the year in Arizona against the Seahawks.
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49ers to finish season playing home games in Arizona
The Niners will fly to Arizona, where they will practice, live and play their next two games after Santa Clara County imposed a three-week ban on games and practices for contact sports. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)The San Francisco 49ers will finish out the regular season practicing and playing home games in Arizona after a ban on contact sorts in their home county was extended into January. The Niners relocated to Arizona at the beginning of December after Santa Clara County announced a three-week ban on contact sports games and practices to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. And, I think a lot of people are in the same boat.”The 49ers arrived in Arizona on Dec. 2 and began practicing the next day. The team is staying at a hotel near the Arizona Cardinals stadium in Glendale, where they are playing their home games.
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49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo ready for return to New England
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Jimmy Garoppolo’s early NFL education came going up against Bill Belichick’s complicated defense each day in practice with the New England Patriots. Now Garoppolo gets his first chance to go up against his former coach and team since being traded away to San Francisco nearly three years ago when the 49ers visit the Patriots on Sunday. “It set me up for everything here, made the transition a lot easier,” Garoppolo said about the work he did with the Patriots. I’m glad that it’s worked out for him and San Francisco. “I think that’s one of the most impressive things about Jimmy,” Shanahan said.
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AP source: Gruden, Payton fined for not wearing masks
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden celebrates after defeating the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)LAS VEGAS – Two more NFL head coaches and their teams have been fined for not wearing masks on the sideline. A person with knowledge of the punishment said Tuesday that Jon Gruden of the Raiders and Sean Payton of the Saints were each fined $100,000 for not wearing masks on the sideline on Monday night. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the league wasn’t announcing specific fines, said the teams were also fined $250,000 for the infractions. NFL Network and ESPN first reported the fines for Gruden and Payton.
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Unmasked: NFL fines coaches, teams for not covering faces
(AP Photo/Don Wright)NFL coaches thumbed their collective — and exposed — noses at the NFL’s mask mandate in Week 2. More coaches and clubs can expect similar punishments as the memo last week from Troy Vincent, who oversees the league’s football operations, was largely ignored throughout the weekend. Players, who, like the coaches, are subject to daily COVID-19 tests, are exempt from the face covering requirements. Some coaches such as Belichick, McDaniels and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wore their masks or gaiters over their mouths but not noses. Others such as Carroll, Spagnuolo and Fangio wore their face coverings around their chins or necks, exposing both their mouths and noses.
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AP source: NFL fines 3 coaches, clubs for unmasked coaches
(AP Photo/Don Wright)A person with knowledge of the punishment tells The Associated Press that at least three NFL head coaches have been fined $100,000 for violating the league’s rules that they wear face coverings on the sideline. More fines could be coming as several other coaches violated the league's rules requiring coaches to wear coverings over their mouths and noses at all times. Gruden wore his face mask like a chin strap and Payton wore his gaiter like a turtleneck. The punishments come a week after the NFL warned all 32 teams in a memo about following the rules for wearing face coverings during the coronavirus pandemic lest they put the NFL season at risk. ___Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arniestapleton___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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49ers complain about playing surface at MetLife Stadium
Players gather around an injured person during the first half of an NFL football game between the New York Jets and the San Francisco 49ers at a nearly empty MetLife Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)The San Francisco 49ers contacted the NFL on Monday about the conditions of the playing surface at MetLife Stadium after several players went down with injuries in a victory over the New York Jets. The new artificial surface was used in a game for the second time on Sunday. The Niners will play again at MetLife Stadium on Sunday when they visit the New York Giants. Giants coach Joe Judge says his team held several walkthroughs and two scrimmages on the field before the opener, with no one complaining about the surface. “But as far as MetLife field, I think it is fine.
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Barkley, 49ers hit with potentially season-ending injuries
Start with running back, where Giants star Saquon Barkley is believed to have torn the ACL in his right knee early in their loss at Chicago. The 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo tried to play through a right ankle injury before Nick Mullens took over for the second half. Tevin Coleman also left San Francisco's win over the Jets with a late knee injury. Along with Lock and Sutton, the Broncos lost defensive end Dre'Mont Jones to a knee injury in their defeat at Pittsburgh. Washington guard Brandon Scherff, who left early in Arizona with a knee injury, was among the offensive linemen hurt around the NFL on Sunday.
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49ers blast Jets 31-13, but lose Garoppolo, Bosa, Mostert
Still, short-handed San Francisco had enough to beat the inept New York Jets. Defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas were both carted off the field two plays apart with left knee injuries in the first quarter. Two plays later, Thomas was carted off — also with a left knee injury — after an 8-yard reception by Chris Hogan. San Francisco ended the 14-play possession with an 18-yard catch by Jordan Reed for the first of his two TD grabs. ... San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a first-round draft pick, had two catches for 21 yards in his NFL debut.
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Full circle for Jets' Gore with facing familiar foe in 49ers
It all comes full circle for the 37-year-old Gore on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, when his Jets host the team with which he began his career 16 years ago. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)NEW YORK – Frank Gore took his first snap as a pro in what seems like a lifetime ago. “I want to win, especially coming off a loss last week,” Gore said, referring to the Jets' 27-17 defeat at Buffalo. “I love Frank Gore,” said 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who remembers watching him at the University of Miami while serving as the offensive quality control coach at Tampa Bay from 2004-05. So, to see Gore on Sunday at 37 facing the franchise with which he spent his first 10 NFL seasons might amaze some.
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Smoke from nearby wildfires creates eerie baseball scene
Smoke from California wildfires obscures the sky over Oracle Park as the Seattle Mariners take batting practice before their baseball game against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, in San Francisco. By mid-morning across San Francisco Bay, the Giants Oracle Park resembled a black-and-orange horror scene. Little experiment on my behalf today.Still, the air quality was below 100 about two hours before first pitch. AL West-leading Oakland was set to face the Houston Astros, while across San Francisco Bay the Giants were hosting the Seattle Mariners. The NFL's San Francisco 49ers practiced in similar conditions at their Santa Clara facility in the South Bay on Wednesday.
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Camp injuries, virus protocols had some NFL teams scrambling
I think theres a lot of teams in the league right now that are dealing with all kinds of injuries.He's right. Teams all over the league were sent scrambling during camp. Certainly not during training camp when players are going hard to make the roster as the start of the regular season rolls closer. It's the soft tissue injuries and those things that you are trying to prevent with the ramp-up period," Bitonio said. That will certainly be something to monitor as the regular season begins and teams deal with injuries and potential replacements.
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AP source: 49ers give Kyle Shanahan new deal through 2025
FILE - In this Dec. 29, 2019, file photo, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan smiles during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. The 49ers rewarded Shanahan with a new six-year contract Monday, June 15, 2020, after he took the team to the Super Bowl in his third season at the helm. A person familiar with the deal said the Niners are replacing the three years remaining on Shanahan's original six-year contract signed in 2017 to keep him under contract through 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear, File)The San Francisco 49ers rewarded coach Kyle Shanahan with a new six-year contract Monday after he took the team to the Super Bowl in his third season at the helm. The 49ers won just 10 games in Shanahans first two seasons in San Francisco before a breakthrough in 2019.
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NFL extends virtual offseason until June 26
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)The NFL has extended virtual offseason programs for teams through June 26, but no further. The remote programs have taken the place of on-site work, and some teams already have announced they are shutting those down. But on Thursday, the league said it will allow the virtual work for an additional 15 days. The first preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 6, with Dallas against Pittsburgh in the Hall of Fame game at Canton, Ohio. The NFL plans to open the regular season on time with Houston at Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sept. 10.
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Colin Kaepernick has more support now, still long way to go
FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2016, file photo, San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick kneels during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)When Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to take a stand against police brutality and racial injustice in 2016, he was mostly alone. Global opinion has shifted so much that more people are now vilifying those who attack Kaepernick or misrepresent his stance. I have had many people attempt to discourage our support of Colin, which is unthinkable to me. He is encouraged because more folks support Kaepernicks movement but realizes theres a long way to go.
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NFL coaches allowed to return to team facilities on Friday
Coaches will be allowed to return beginning Friday to NFL team facilities closed because of the coronavirus pandemic as the league continues preparation for training camps and its season. Previously, only up to 75 people per day could be at the facilities, with coaches and players not seeking treatment for injuries barred. Any decisions will be a collaborative effort with the league and the players association, based on continuation of our phased approach. Reopening team facilities, though slowly and carefully, has been the next step. Beginning Friday, coaching staffs may work together rather than remotely, albeit within social distancing protocols, at team complexes.