Now that he appears to be a part of the 49ers‘ future beyond this season, running back Frank Gore sounds excited about what’s ahead. “I want to be a Niner,” Gore told Mindi Bach of CSNBayArea.com. “Like I said before, it’s all I know. I’ve been here since I was 21; 21-year-old, like a kid. I know there will be changes, but I think the guys at the key positions, that’s what matters. Next year, I think Kap will get back to himself. Anquan Boldin will come back. Stevie Johnson is still under contract. Vernon Davis is still under contract. Joe Staley, Anthony Davis. I look at Patrick Willis will be back, NaVorro Bowman, Aldon Smith, for the season. So I think the guys at the key spots are good enough for me to say, ‘Yeah, I want to be back.’” Earlier this week, GM Trent Baalke said that he wants to bring Gore back next season. It was previously speculated that San Francisco would move on from the aging running back in favor of younger options. More news from San Francisco and Arizona…
- The Cardinals have had to go through four quarterbacks in a season before and it’s not a fun place to be, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes.
- Ryan Lindley will start at QB for the Cardinals on Sunday, but it could be his last chance to show that he belongs in the NFL, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.
- In the crazy, hypothetical scenario section of NFL chatter, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes that there is still a way for the Cardinals to get Kurt Warner on the team for the playoff run. Florio explains that if the team were to release Warner, they could then sign him immediately once he passes through waivers. However, Florio writes there is a good chance some team claims Warner to block the move, suggesting Rams coach Jeff Fisher could do it after comments Bruce Arians made about the Rams always being 8-8.
- 49ers right tackle Anthony Davis hasn’t held back in his criticism of the team’s coaching staff, specifically offensive coordinator Greg Roman, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. Davis allowed that Jim Harbaugh will be gone after the season, and shared his thoughts as to what the club should do to move forward. “I don’t think it’s that complicated what we need to do. I’m just a player, and I know what we don’t need,” said Davis, now in his fifth season. “I don’t want to be close-minded about a new coach coming in with different views, but (a power-run scheme) would seem like the simplest answer.“
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.