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San Francisco 49ers News & Rumors

49ers Place S Talanoa Hufanga On IR; K Jake Moody An IR Candidate

October 9th, 2024 at 3:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 9: The 49ers are following through with an IR move for one of these regulars. Hufanga is heading back to IR, the team announced. Finishing last season sidelined due to an ACL tear, Hufanga is expected back this season. But the All-Pro safety will be shut down for at least four games. The 49ers signed tight end Brayden Willis from their practice squad to take Hufanga’s roster spot.

OCTOBER 8: Talanoa Hufanga has managed to make a pair of appearances this season for the 49ers, but his next game action will come after a notable absence. The All-Pro safety is dealing with ligament damage in his wrist, head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday.

[RELATED: 49ers Place Yetur Gross-Matos On IR]

As a result, Hufanga is facing an absence of roughly one month. A stint on injured reserve would ensure at least a four-game absence, making that a consideration in this case. Shanahan added (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic) the team has yet to decide if an IR stint will be in store.

In either case, today’s news is unwelcomed given Hufanga’s importance to the 49ers’ secondary and his missed time from last year. The 25-year-old suffered a torn ACL in November, limiting him to 10 regular season games and sidelining him for San Francisco’s run to the Super Bowl. Hufanga was activated from the PUP list at the end of the summer, though, making him eligible to play within the first four weeks of the campaign upon returning to practice.

The former fifth-rounder made his season debut in Week 3 before missing the following contest. Hufanga then suffered his latest injury early in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, a game which dropped the 49ers’ record to 2-3. Rebounding from that poor start will be challenging as the team deals with several key absences on defense.

In other injury news, kicker Jake Moody – who is dealing with a high ankle sprain – is facing a similar recovery timeline, per Shanahan. He too could land on IR, something which would result in an extended audition period for the team’s new kicker. Matthew Wright is now in place as Moody’s replacement, having agreed to a practice squad deal earlier today.

The 49ers designated defensive tackle ​Kalia Davis for return from IR before the roster cutdown deadline. That move used one of their eight activations for the year (although Davis has not yet been brought back into the fold), with running back Christian McCaffrey, cornerback Ambry Thomas and Jon Feliciano all still on injured reserve. First-round rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall remains on the reserve/NFI list for now; all four members of that group will use up an activation once they are healthy. The 49ers must therefore be careful with IR designations moving forward, but one or both of Hufanga and Moody could be shelved for four games soon.

49ers To Add K Matthew Wright

October 8th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The 49ers look to have their temporary kicker selected. After a five-specialist workout, San Francisco is going with Matthew Wright. The veteran fill-in will be added to the team’s practice squad, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.

The 49ers lost starting kicker Jake Moody to a high ankle sprain during their Week 5 loss to the Cardinals, and their next game on Thursday gave them little time to find a replacement.

Wright has spent four years in the NFL as a mercenary kicker for teams in need of stopgap solutions due to injury like the 49ers. He played 14 games for the Jaguars in 2021 after Josh Lambo went down, and has also spent time with the Steelers, Chiefs, and Panthers. Wright has made 40 of his 47 career field goal attempts (85.7%), with a long of 59, and his PAT conversion rate is 94.6%.

Wright beat out Randy Bullock, Anders Carlson and Matt Coghlin for San Francisco’s kicking job, per Schefter. Riley Patterson also auditioned for the gig, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Wright will have to quickly get on the same page as punter/holder Mitch Wishnowsky. Wishnowsky hit a 26-yard field goal against Arizona, but 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan declined to give him a chance from 44 yards, instead electing to attempt a fourth-and-23. The conversion failed, and the Cardinals would go on to score 10 unanswered points to win.

Wright is expected to be elevated from the practice squad for the 49ers’ Thursday matchup with the Seahawks. He will need to overcome a raucous Seattle crowd to help San Francisco keep up in the NFC West.

49ers Place DE Yetur Gross-Matos On IR

October 7th, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 7: Gross-Matos is unlikely to be ready when first eligible, with Kyle Shanahan confirming Monday (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) the free agent pickup underwent surgery that will sideline him for four to eight weeks.

OCTOBER 5: The 49ers’ defense has encountered another notable injury. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos was placed on injured reserve Saturday, per a team announcement.

A knee injury will keep the free agent pickup sidelined for at least the next four games. Gross-Matos was inactive for the season opener, but he handled a regular defensive workload during each of the following three games. His absence will compound the injuries San Francisco is already dealing with in the front seven in particular.

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is likely out for the remainder of the season due to a partial triceps tear. Along the edge, 2022 second-rounder Drake Jackson was shut down for 2024 back in August, after he was unable to recover from the knee injury which limited him to eight games last year. Jackson’s absence paved the way for Leonard Floyd and Gross-Matos to handle a notable workload in their respective debut 49ers campaigns.

The latter began his career in Carolina. He played out his rookie contract while spending time as both a base end and a stand-up outside linebacker. Gross-Matos served as a full-time starter in 2022, and his 4.5 sacks that year marked a career high. He inked a two-year, $18MM pact in free agency in a bid to return to a permanent starting role. The former second-rounder logged a 46% snap share without recording a sack in his first three San Francisco contests. It will be several weeks until he returns to action and has the opportunity to make more of a statistical impact.

In the meantime, Floyd will continue handle starting duties alongside Nick Bosa on the edge. Floyd also signed a two-year pact during the spring, and the 32-year-old came to the Bay Area with high expectations after logging at least nine sacks in each of the past four seasons. He has only registered one so far, but with Jackson and now Gross-Matos out of the picture the Bosa-Floyd tandem will be leaned on heavily in the pass-rush department. Notable production from those two would help the 49ers overcome at least some of their injury problems as they look to improve from a 2-2 start.

49ers’ Jake Moody Suffers High Ankle Sprain

October 6th, 2024 at 8:32pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Jake Moody was carted off the field after attempting a tackle on a kickoff return in the first half, sidelining him for the remainder of the game. He was replaced by punter Mitch Wishnowsky, who converted a 26-yard field goal before halftime but did not attempt a kick in the second half. This hindered the 49ers in a narrow loss to the Cardinals.

San Francisco’s kicker suffered a high ankle sprain during Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. This injury is to Moody’s right kicking leg and introduces a scenario in which the 49ers will need to add a kicker. Moody is expected to miss multiple games, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.

Moody’s injury certainly impacted Kyle Shanahan‘s decision-making as the 49ers attempted to hold onto a 23-10 halftime lead. The 49ers tried to convert for a fourth-and-23 from the Cardinals’ 27-yard line in the third quarter instead of sending Wishnowsky out for a 44-yard field goal attempt. Brock Purdy‘s pass fell incomplete, and the Cardinals took advantage of the opportunity with a touchdown drive that cut the lead to three points.

Moody was wearing a walking boot following the game, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The second-year kicker told media in the locker room that he would get an MRI to determine the severity of his injury. Chosen in Round 3 last year, the Michigan alum played in every 49ers game as a rookie.

“It rolled underneath me, spun a little farther than it should. Nothing’s broken thankfully,” said Moody, via KNBR. 

With a visit to Seattle on Thursday night ahead, the 49ers will need to move quickly to evaluate their kicking situation and sign a stop-gap replacement for Moody if needed. Shanahan pointed to a replacement coming in.

“They’ll work on that stuff right away,” said Shanahan in his postgame press conference. “We’ll get them in as fast as possible, and pick the best guy we can.”

The Cardinals faced a kicker crisis of their own this week with veteran Matt Prater dealing with a left knee injury. Arizona signed ex-Patriots kicker Chad Ryland to its practice squad on Wednesday and elevated him for Sunday’s game. Ryland made three of his four field goal attempts against the 49ers, including a 35-yard game-winner with 1:37 remaining in the fourth quarter. Prater remains on the Cardinals’ 53-man roster, with the team going with two kickers for the time being. The 49ers will need to weigh Moody’s recovery timetable with other roster needs, as a Moody IR move would sideline him for four games.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey Resumes On-Field Work

October 6th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Ely Allen

October 6: According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the bilateral tendinitis is not regarded as a pressing concern, as the issue is mostly concentrated in just one of McCaffrey’s legs. CMC did indeed take part in on-field work this week, and he did not experience any setbacks with either his Achilles or his calf ailments.

There is still a chance that McCaffrey will return to game action for the 49ers’ Week 7 tilt with the Chiefs on October 20, provided that his recovery continues to go smoothly. It still seems that the Week 8 contest against the Cowboys or Week 10 matchup with the Bucs are more likely return dates — San Francisco has a Week 9 bye — but the fact that Week 7 is even in play is obviously good news.

October 4: Last we heard, NFL media was circulating good news coming off of Christian McCaffrey‘s medical trip to Germany, where he sought treatment for the Achilles tendinitis that has held him out of the season thus far. Reports claimed that McCaffrey would start running on hard ground this past week and that he was expected back by November. The next day, though, head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that some updates were maybe not as optimistic, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Specifically, Shanahan confirmed reports that McCaffrey’s is dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinitis, meaning that the injury is affecting both of the running back’s lower limbs. In the quote, Shanahan hypothesizes that the injury manifested in one leg and that, due to compensating to stay off of that leg, it developed in the other leg as a result.

After being placed on injured reserve just before their Week 2 contest, McCaffrey still will be required to sit out one more game before he’s even eligible to return from IR, but no one seems to anticipate that early of a return. The reason for the extended recovery period is that the 49ers’ plan has been to give McCaffrey time simply to rest before returning for rehabilitation.

“We’ll try the ramp-up,” general manager John Lynch told the media, “and God willing, the thing has quieted down, and we can build him back up in a really smart and thoughtful way.”

While everyone seems to be saying all the right things at times, the air of uncertainty casts a shroud of doubt on the situation. Once McCaffrey reports back to practice, we’ll finally have some eyes on the situation and some expectations to come along with it. Until then, though, McCaffrey’s situation remains as cloudy as ever.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/24

October 5th, 2024 at 7:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s gameday elevations and other minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Mariota returned to practice on Wednesday, which was the earliest point at which he could be designated for return. As a result, it comes as little surprise he has been brought back onto Washington’s active roster. The 30-year-old is in his first season with the Commanders, and today’s move paves the way for him to handle backup duties moving forward.

Ngakoue remained on the free agent market into the start of the regular season. He was not connected to a Ravens reunion, but one took place last week. The journeyman sack artist had a brief spell with Baltimore in 2020, and he posted three sacks in 11 games. Ngakoue, 29, had one-and done campaigns in Vegas, Indianapolis and Chicago before taking a Ravens practice squad deal. He will make his debut tomorrow and aim to provide depth along the edge.

Commanders Interested In Davante Adams Trade?

October 5th, 2024 at 9:12am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets and Saints continue to be the most popular landing spots for Davante Adams, but there are plenty of other teams interested in acquiring the All-Pro receiver. Over the past week, we’ve heard the likes of the Steelers, Bills, Cowboys, Ravens, 49ers, and Chiefs connected to the Raiders wideout, and now another team could be entering the fray.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, league executives believe the Commanders could be a dark horse contender in the trade sweepstakes. However, Fowler cautions that the Commanders’ young core means they may not be the best fit for the 31-year-old wide receiver.

Fowler brings up a fair point, but the Commanders’ interest wouldn’t be completely random. Jayden Daniels has quickly validated his second-overall-pick draft stock, and with the Commanders sitting at a surprising 3-1, the front office may be willing to make win-now moves while also surrounding their rookie QB with as much talent as possible.

Further, the Commanders’ wide receivers room could use a spark of talent. Terry McLaurin continues to lead the depth chart, and the team has high hopes for third-round rookie Luke McCaffrey. Otherwise, the team’s WR depth consists of Noah Brown, Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Jamison Crowder (who is currently on IR). Adams would undeniably provide an upgrade to the team’s current receiver corps.

While the Commanders may be entering the bidding war, one team is pumping the brakes on their reported interest. During an appearance on KNBR’s Murph & Markus, 49ers general manager John Lynch acknowledged that his team would consider any improvement to the roster. However, the GM also noted that the 49ers will soon have their entire WR grouping back on the field, with the likes of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and rookie Ricky Pearsall all deserving of playing time.

“We like our group. Davante’s a hell of a player,” Lynch said (via Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area). “One thing we’ve shown is we’re always looking, we’re never afraid to look and see what’s out there. We’re never afraid to pull the trigger. But I think coming in this year, we feel our roster is in a pretty good spot.

“We have endured some injuries, but we’ll never say never. And it’s got to work. It’s got to work for both sides, but it’s got to work for us. I won’t comment on any specific player but right now we like where our roster is at.”

While the speculation is fun, the rumor mill isn’t expected to last a whole lot longer. One league executive told Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post that they expect Adams to be traded within the next week or two, with the wideout potentially being dealt before he’s ready to return from his hamstring injury. Fowler echoed that sentiment, saying he expects trade talks to heat up next week.

Davante Adams Aiming For Jets Trade; Raiders To Accept Highest Offer

October 3rd, 2024 at 10:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Davante Adams is unlikely to play in Week 5, but the matter of his hamstring injury is a minor element to his ongoing storyline. The Raiders continue to have discussions tied to dealing the All-Pro wideout to a new team, although an expected suitor is in place as his target.

Adams wants to play with the Jets, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That update comes as no surprise considering the mutual interest showed by both Adams and Aaron Rodgers to reunite in New York. The Jets are among the numerous teams which have inquired about a deal, and reporting from yesterday tapped them as the favorites to pull off a trade. Other suitors remain in the running, though.

Rapoport notes Adams has not insisted to the Raiders he will only go to New York, adding other teams appeal to him as well. The Saints, Steelers, Bills and Cowboys are teams which have had conversations about a deal, although Dallas is no longer believed to be interested in adding the 31-year-old. Rapoport lists the Ravens and 49ers as destinations Adams could be amenable to. San Francisco currently leads the league in cap space ($56.74MM), while Baltimore has just $4.31MM and would need to execute a number of maneuvers to made an Adams deal feasible.

Any acquiring team would take on a prorated portion of the Fresno State product’s $16.89MM base salary (along with $30K in weekly roster bonuses) to fit him into their 2024 cap structure. Two more years remain on Adams’ deal, but a restructure resulting in guaranteed money for 2025 and beyond along with a drop in cap hits is expected regardless of where he winds up. The Raiders could increase the value of draft pick compensation coming back in a trade by retaining some salary. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini names the Bills and Chiefs as suitors monitoring the market which could make a more notable push in the event Vegas were to absorb some of the outstanding compensation.

While it would certainly be notable if Kansas City – a team which could use an addition at the receiver spot – were to emerge as a legitimate contender for an intra-divisional deal, Rapoport reports the Raiders are prepared to take the highest offer they receive. That may still come from the Jets (who currently have $16.81MM in cap space), but stronger bids from Derek Carr‘s Saints or another team would complicate efforts on New York’s part to work out an agreement. The Raiders’ asking price reportedly starts with a second-round pick, but that would change if salary retention were to be brought into the equation.

Adams was sidelined for Week 4, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports he is not expected to play this week against the Broncos. Russini adds Adams could be back to full health in time for Week 6 if he does not encounter any setbacks. If the former second-rounder is at full strength before a trade is worked out, Rapoport notes Adams could continue playing for Vegas, something which appeared to be in store for the rest of the campaign until earlier this week.

Rapoport adds nothing is imminent on the trade front at this time. Given Adams’ openness to moving on and the Raiders’ willingness to seek out his market amongst interested parties, though, the possibility remains this situation will see a resolution before the November 5 trade deadline which results in a change of scenery. If the Raiders remain committed to taking the best offer on the table, it will be interesting to see how urgently the Jets pursue a deal.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/2/24

October 2nd, 2024 at 8:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Practice window opened: T Christian Jones

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

  • Practice window opened: DT Jonathan Ford

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Today marks most teams’ first practice before Week 5, making it the first date players stashed on IR as teams set their initial 53-man rosters can work out again with their teams. This year’s IR tweak allowed teams to designate up to two players for return August 27, the catch being all players who receive that designation count toward their respective club’s eight-activation total. The batch included in today’s minor moves post consists entirely of players to receive that August IR-return designation.

The IR-return window is unchanged, however, with teams having 21 days from Wednesday to activate these players. Anyone from today’s group not being activated from IR by October 23 must miss the rest of the season. PFR will keep track of all players returning from IR via the Injured Reserve Return Tracker.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/2/24

October 2nd, 2024 at 7:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Wednesday’s practice squad updates:

Arizona Cardinals

Houston Texans

Los Angles Rams

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

The Cardinals have added some necessary kicker depth. Per Tyler Drake of AZSports, Matt Prater is dealing with a left knee issue, necessitating the addition of Chad Ryland. The former fourth-round pick spent his rookie campaign in New England, where he converted 16 of his 25 field goal attempts and 24 of his 25 XP tries. Ryland lost out on the Patriots kicking gig this season to Joey Slye, leading to him being among New England’s final cuts.

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