49ers Not Expecting To Add Baker Mayfield?
After requesting his Panthers exit, Baker Mayfield is on waivers. More than $1MM remains on the former No. 1 overall pick’s contract, complicating a potential late-season claim. But the 49ers certainly make sense as a team that would consider such a move.
The contending team lost its second quarterback to a severe injury; Jimmy Garoppolo will be shut down for the third time during his five-plus-season San Francisco tenure. Kyle Shanahan addressed Mayfield’s availability Monday, but the sixth-year 49ers HC is not expecting the team to add the ex-Browns and Panthers starter.
“We look into everything, but that would surprise me right now,” Shanahan said, via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner (on Twitter). “We’ve got to discuss more this afternoon. I’ve always been a fan of his, but I feel really good about our players. We’ll look into everything but I feel pretty good with where we’re at.”
With Garoppolo expected to land on IR, the 49ers will have only 2022 Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy and journeyman extraordinaire Josh Johnson — set to begin his fourth stint with the team after spending the season on Denver’s practice squad — as available quarterbacks. Mayfield, 27, would make sense as an addition here, given his pedigree. But it would be asking a lot for the scuffling QB to digest Shanahan’s complex offense and be positioned to make a quick impact. That said, Purdy is obviously set for a massive responsibility increase. If Mayfield lingers in free agency, the 49ers would have an interesting option.
While Mayfield played a major role in snapping the Browns’ near-20-year playoff drought two years ago, he has not replicated that form often since. The four-year Browns starter did play in a Shanahan-style offense in Cleveland, and the Panthers were impressed with how quickly he picked up Ben McAdoo‘s offense. But no turnaround from an injury-plagued 2021 commenced. QBR slots Mayfield as by far this season’s worst starter. Mayfield’s 18.2 figure would rank as the second-worst number in the QBR era; only Jimmy Clausen‘s 2010 rookie season — also with Carolina — produced a worst result (13.8).
Purdy displayed somewhat surprising effectiveness in the 49ers’ win over the Dolphins, completing 25 of 37 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Purdy threw 1,467 college passes as a four-year Iowa State starter, and while those throws did not generate much draft interest, his debut went better than Trey Lance‘s first extensive outing last season. Purdy’s performance also prompted the 49ers to release Nate Sudfeld this offseason; the team then kept the No. 262 overall pick as its third-stringer entering the season. That said, teams now having time to prepare for Purdy could change the equation — even with the 49ers deploying a four-All-Pro offense.
For now, the Purdy-Johnson duo will be how San Francisco attempts to pick up the Garoppolo pieces. It will be interesting if Mayfield lands with a team before season’s end.
NFC West Notes: 49ers, Rams, OBJ, Hawks
Nearly three months after losing Trey Lance to a season-ending broken ankle, the 49ers saw Lance insurance policy Jimmy Garoppolo go down with a broken foot. Although Garoppolo’s exact prognosis is being determined, Kyle Shanahan said again Monday he is done for the season. Garoppolo appears to, however, have avoided Lisfranc trouble, Shanahan said (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, on Twitter). Garoppolo went through an offseason of trade talk and has long been expected to hit free agency, but a report surfacing hours before his latest injury indicated the 49ers are interested in another reunion. Garoppolo’s third season-ending injury as a 49er may well affect that, but Lisfranc trouble being avoided would aid the nine-year veteran as he attempts to successfully navigate another rehab program.
Here is the latest from the NFC West:
- Staying with the 49ers, they lost one of their defensive linemen to another significant injury. Hassan Ridgeway sustained a pectoral strain and will miss six to eight weeks, Shanahan said. Ridgeway operated as the 49ers’ Arik Armstead replacement for much of this season, making seven starts for the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense. Armstead made a long-awaited return in Week 13, but the team is now without Ridgeway and Javon Kinlaw. San Francisco has a complicated IR situation, having used seven of its eight injury activations already. If the team wants to have Elijah Mitchell back, it cannot activate Kinlaw. This situation may end Ridgeway’s season, if the 49ers move him to IR. Of course, it might come down to which player is readiest come playoff time.
- The Rams kept a locker reserved for Odell Beckham Jr., though as it becomes clear the free agent wideout is not returning to Los Angeles, they are no longer doing so. OBJ previously expressed dissatisfaction with the Rams’ offer, and The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue notes the team submitted an incentive-laden proposal. That said, Rodrigue adds the Rams were flexible regarding the back end of the deal. Beckham has wanted a multiyear commitment. It will be interesting to see how Beckham’s next team ends up compensating him, as he is 30 and has sustained two ACL tears within a 20-month span. Waiting until 2023 — when a thin free agency wideout class is expected to be available — may have been Beckham’s better play.
- Matt Rhule‘s poaching of NFL assistants is not limited to the Panthers’ staff. The new Nebraska HC is bringing over Rams offensive assistant Jake Peetz, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com tweets. Peetz, who coached Panthers quarterbacks under Rhule in 2020, is expected to reprise that role with the Cornhuskers. Peetz, who also played at Nebraska during the mid-2000s, follows Panthers assistant D-line coach Terrance Knighton as active NFL staffers set to leave their current gigs for Lincoln.
- The Packers claimed Justin Hollins off waivers from the Rams, but Field Yates of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) the Seahawks also submitted a claim for the young linebacker. Hollins has played in two Packers games as a reserve. Unlike recent Seahawks waiver claim Johnathan Abram, Hollins has seen extensive defensive action (35 plays) in Green Bay thus far.
49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo Out For Season
8:30pm: With Garoppolo likely headed to injured reserve, the 49ers plan to sign veteran journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson off of the Broncos’ practice squad, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. This will be Johnson’s fourth stint in San Francisco after spending the 2012 offseason with the 49ers, constantly being signed and released by the team throughout the 2014 season, and spending the 2020 season on San Francisco’s practice squad.
Johnson has been a member of more NFL teams than he has played years in the league, playing with 14 teams over 13 years. He signed with the Broncos at the beginning of this past offseason and was temporarily on the team’s active roster after an injury to starter Russell Wilson.
He last appeared in a game last season for the Ravens when he started in place of an injured Lamar Jackson and an absent Tyler Huntley, who had tested positive for COVID-19. The Ravens lost that game despite Johnson completing 28 of 40 pass attempts for 304 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite his three previous tenures with the organization, Johnson has never appeared in a game for the 49ers. That trend may continue as the rookie seventh-round pick, Purdy, showed he may have what it takes to pilot the 49ers offense. Johnson is likely being brought in for emergency backup duties only, considering Purdy has spent the entire season with 49ers.
6:53pm: Following this afternoon’s win over the Dolphins that saw quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo leave in the first quarter with a reported ankle injury, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has told reporters that Garoppolo will be out for the remainder of the season, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. With season opener starter Trey Lance already on season-ending injured reserve with his own ankle injury, the 49ers will be down to third-stringer Brock Purdy to lead the team for the remainder of the season. 
Shanahan explained to reporters that Garoppolo actually suffered a broken foot, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, telling the media, “He’ll be out. He’ll need surgery. (He) broke a few things in there.”
Heaps of drama surrounded Garoppolo’s situation coming into the season as the veteran quarterback sought a departure from his team of the last six years. In the end, San Francisco decided to hold on to Garoppolo, hoping his trade value would increase as the season went on. The move would prove to immediately benefit the 49ers when their chosen starter to open the season, Lance, suffered a broken right ankle and underwent season-ending surgery.
Since taking over, Garoppolo has a 7-3 record as the 49ers’ starter, helping to lead the team to an 8-4 record overall, good for first place in the NFC West and a current No. 4 seed in the conference. Garoppolo has done what he always seems to do as a starter, which is simply win football games.
When Garoppolo left today’s game after only one drive, the 49ers had to reach deep into their pockets. This year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Purdy entered Week 13 as the only other quarterback on San Francisco’s active roster. Purdy not only performed admirably but was a huge contributor in helping the 49ers pull out a win against a Dolphins team that would currently sit atop the AFC if it had won today.
San Francisco faces an intriguing stretch over the last five weeks of the season. Next week will pit the seventh-round rookie against the all-time veteran as the team hosts Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. Then a short week will send them to Seattle for a Thursday night matchup against the Seahawks that could very well decide the division. They’ll come back home to face a red-hot Commanders team before closing the season with a road trip to Vegas and another division matchup versus the Cardinals.
As for Garoppolo, a quick recovery is paramount for the 31-year-old. The injury could not have come at a worse time for Garoppolo as reports came out just this morning that the veteran was open to a new contract that would keep him in San Francisco. A perceived value that was riding high at an estimated $35MM per year may take a hit now due to the injury.
Upcoming updates should reveal the severity of the damage and the seriousness of the surgery, giving us an idea of what an expected timeline for recovery will look like. With Lance likely on track to be ready for the 2023 season, Garoppolo may find himself, once again, questioning his place in San Francisco.
49ers, QB Jimmy Garoppolo Open To New Contract
The 49ers have won four straight games to take over first place in the NFC West, and while the defense’s performance is perhaps the biggest reason for the team’s 7-4 mark, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo‘s steady presence has been a key factor as well. While much can change between now and the end of the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says the Niners and Garoppolo are open to a new contract that would keep the veteran passer in the Bay Area in 2023.
Of course, Garoppolo was the subject of numerous reports throughout the offseason, as San Francisco had every intention of trading him and starting life with Trey Lance under center. Indeed, the 49ers and Commanders reportedly had the parameters of a deal in place in the early part of the year, but a March shoulder surgery forced Washington to back off and completely stagnated Garoppolo’s trade market (a recent report from Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area suggests that GM John Lynch was expecting to receive two first-round picks in a Garoppolo deal, though Maiocco himself concedes that seems unrealistic).
As the months dragged on, it became increasingly likely that Garoppolo would remain with the Niners as Lance insurance, a possibility that became reality in late August, when the two sides agreed to a restructured deal that featured a significant pay cut. Per the terms of that contract, the 49ers cannot put a franchise tag on Garoppolo at season’s end, so he will be eligible for free agency in March 2023 with no strings attached. In a free agent quarterback market that is expected to be comprised of its usual blend of question marks/retreads (Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Teddy Bridgewater) and players that will never actually hit the market (Lamar Jackson), Garoppolo may well be the top QB available (with all due apologies to Tom Brady, who will turn 46 before the 2023 season gets underway).
He will not, therefore, come cheap. Spotrac presently estimates that he is worth roughly $35MM per year, and given his 41-19 record in San Francisco (including playoffs) and generally solid play throughout his career, that does not seem like a stretch. His injury history is concerning, though the premium that teams have to pay for quality QBs should allow him to get that $35MM AAV.
Whether the 49ers will be the team to pay him that money is an entirely different story. We heard last month that the club’s impending cap crunch — OverTheCap.com currently projects the Niners to have just $1MM in effective cap space, based on a projected cap of $225MM — could make a Garoppolo re-up quite difficult, and that would be especially true if the team is only interested in a one-year contract, as Rapoport seems to suggest. Putting aside for a moment whether Garoppolo himself would be amenable to such a pact, it just does not seem likely that San Francisco could absorb a Garoppolo contract without spreading his cap hit over multiple seasons, and a multi-year contract at the rate that Garoppolo will be seeking would double as an admission that the 2021 trade-up for Lance was a total waste of valuable draft capital.
After being reinserted into the lineup to take over for an injured Lance in Week 2, Garoppolo has thrown 16 TDs against just four interceptions while completing over 67% of his passes. That amounts to a QB rating of 103.0, the fifth-best mark in the league.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/22
Here are the league’s minor transactions leading into the Sunday-slate of Week 13 games:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Quinton Bell, C Jonotthan Harrison
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: WR Binjimen Victor
- Promoted from practice squad: WR DeSean Jackson, S Ar’Darius Washington
- Placed on IR: WR Tylan Wallace
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: P Drue Chrisman
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: S Mike Brown
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: T Aviante Collins
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Micah Abernathy, RB Patrick Taylor
Houston Texans
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Jacobi Francis
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Forrest Rhyne
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: S Zayne Anderson, WR Cornell Powell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Kyle Peko
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted from practice squad: T Zack Bailey
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to active roster: OLB Keir Thomas, WR Austin Trammell
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Malcolm Brown, DE T.J. Carter
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted from practice squad: OL James Empey, T Kendall Lamm
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted from practice squad: LB William Kwenkeu
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: RB Elijah Mitchell (story)
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Vi Jones, WR Laquon Treadwell
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: OLB Olasunkanmi Adeniyi
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Julius Chestnut, CB Davontae Harris
- Waived: K Caleb Shudak
Washington Commanders
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Alex Erickson
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/29/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: S Adrian Colbert
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Owen Carney, WR Tyron Johnson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Tae Davis
Denver Broncos
- Signed: DB Lamar Jackson
- Released: WR Kaden Davis, RB Tyreik McAllister
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Jarren Williams
- Released: WR Josh Johnson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Nick Guggemos
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Kenny Young
- Placed on IR: OL Drew Desjarlais
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Devery Hamilton, LB Quincy Roche, DB Trenton Thompson
- Released: WR Robert Foster
New York Jets
- Signed: S Kai Nacua, RB Jonathan Ward
- Released: WR Diontae Spencer, DL Marquiss Spencer
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: RB Kennedy Brooks, T Roderick Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Renell Wren
- Released: WR Josh Malone
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Kemoko Turay
- Released: CB Ka’dar Hollman
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB J.J. Russell
- Activated from IR: CB Anthony Chesley
- Released: DL Khalil Davis, CB Quandre Mosely
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Reggie Roberson Jr.
Elijah Mitchell Facing Another Extended Absence; Arik Armstead Nearing Return
Elijah Mitchell opened the season as the 49ers’ starting running back, but an MCL sprain changed his second-year path. After returning to complement trade acquisition Christian McCaffrey, Mitchell will be shut down because of an MCL again.
The 49ers are expecting to be without Mitchell for a six- to eight-week stretch because of another MCL sprain, Kyle Shanahan said Monday. This depleted a backfield already affected by the 49ers trading Mitchell’s initial replacement — Jeff Wilson — to the Dolphins on deadline day. Mitchell damaged his other MCL, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, not the one he hurt in September.
Despite being a sixth-round pick, Mitchell emerged as San Francisco’s lead back last season. The Louisiana product amassed 963 rushing yards in just 11 games, but injuries have continually held back the mid-major alum. While other issues led to Mitchell’s six missed games as a rookie, he underwent knee surgery this offseason. His ensuing bouts of knee trouble obviously provide a concern about his long-term viability. The 49ers will need to make another backfield adjustment going forward.
San Francisco has assembled an interesting collection of skill-position players, adding McCaffrey to its George Kittle–Deebo Samuel duo. But these three have each run into extensive injury trouble, injecting doubt about their availability for the next two months. Mitchell represented high-end insurance for McCaffrey and played well upon return from his initial MCL sprain, but he can be labeled an injury-prone player at this point as well. The 49ers can turn back to third-round rookie Tyrion Davis-Price as a CMC complement. The LSU product’s role stands to grow going forward, with Wilson now the Dolphins’ starter post-trade.
The 49ers may also have a decision to make regarding their injured reserve list. The NFL’s offseason IR adjustment would allow for Mitchell to be placed on IR and return again, but the league also capped the number of players who can be activated from teams’ IR, PUP and NFI lists at eight. The 49ers lead the league with seven such activations, and starting defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw remains on IR. If Mitchell returns to IR, only one of these two players can be activated this season. The 49ers are planning to place Mitchell back on IR, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets, putting this either/or scenario into play. Mitchell’s timetable indicates the team would need to hold its final IR activation until the postseason, inserting some roster-related risk into the surging 49ers’ equation.
Arik Armstead has missed most of the 49ers’ season but is not on IR; Shanahan provided more positive injury news regarding the longtime San Francisco defensive lineman. Armstead is expected to return to practice Wednesday, Wagoner tweets. The veteran D-tackle has been out since Week 4 with a hairline fibula fracture. The 49ers have maintained their No. 1 defensive ranking for weeks without Armstead and others in the picture. They stand to receive a boost when the eighth-year defender returns to action.
49ers Add Janoris Jenkins To Practice Squad
Out of football since the Titans released him in March, Janoris Jenkins will catch on for an 11th NFL season. The 49ers added the veteran cornerback to their practice squad Monday.
A.k.a. “Jackrabbit,” the former second-round pick has bounced around since coming into the league; the 49ers are team No. 5 for the longtime starter. The 49ers will release cornerback Ka’dar Hollman from their practice squad to clear a space, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
Jenkins, 34, will become the league’s oldest active cornerback. He has 138 career starts and 27 interceptions on his resume. The former Rams, Giants, Saints and Titans cover man’s eight pick-sixes are tied for eighth in NFL history. His most recent defensive TD came with the Saints in 2020.
Both New Orleans and Tennessee made Jenkins a cap casualty over the past two years. The Titans gave Jenkins a two-year, $15MM deal in March 2021 and used him as a full-time player in a retooled secondary. The former Florida recruit-turned-Division II standout started 13 games and played 93% of the Titans’ defensive snaps, starting in the team’s playoff game.
While it is interesting a player with Jenkins’ accomplishments is settling for a practice squad deal, the league’s expanded P-squads during the 2020s have opened the door to many similar agreements. The 49ers lost starter Emmanuel Moseley for the season and saw Jason Verrett go down with another major injury not long after. While San Francisco’s defense (zero second-half points allowed over the past four games) is getting by fine without these veterans, Jenkins stands to provide some experience and insurance down the stretch.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/26/22
The league’s minor moves and standard gameday elevations for Week 12:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: WR Marquise Brown (story)
- Signed to active roster: WR Andre Baccellia
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Pharoh Cooper, TE Maxx Williams
- Placed on IR: TE Zach Ertz (story), T D.J. Humphries (story)
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: C Jonotthan Harrison
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: CB Daryl Worley
- Promoted from practice squad: WR DeSean Jackson, LB Julian Stanford
- Placed on IR: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB T.J. Carrie, DE Kobe Jones
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: RB Darrynton Evans
- Promoted from practice squad: LB DeMarquis Gates
- Waived: CB Lamar Jackson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: P Drue Chrisman, WR Kwamie Lassiter II
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Jermaine Carter
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: RB Devine Ozigbo
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Brandon Johnson, CB Faion Hicks
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Innis Gaines, RB Patrick Taylor
Houston Texans
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Jacobi Francis, CB Will Redmond
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Zayne Anderson, WR Cornell Powell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Tyler Hall, DT Kyle Peko
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: RB Joshua Kelley
- Signed to active roster: T Foster Sarell
- Promoted from practice squad: S Raheem Layne
- Waived: OLB Jeremiah Attaochu, RB Larry Rountree III
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to active roster: T AJ Arcuri, RB Ronnie Rivers
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Roger Carter, G Jeremiah Kolone
- Placed on IR: DT A’Shawn Robinson (story)
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: T Max Mitchell
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Chazz Surratt, DL Tanzel Smart
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: DL T.Y. McGill
- Waived: DL Kemoko Turay
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Laquon Treadwell, LB Vi Jones
- Placed on IR: WR D’Wayne Eskridge (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from PUP: K Caleb Shudak
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Greg Mabin, LB Andre Smith
Washington Commanders
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Alex Erickson
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/21/22
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: DL Michael Dogbe, TE Maxx Williams
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on IR: DL Ta’Quon Graham
- Claimed (from Texans): DL Jaleel Johnson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated for return: T Isaiah Prince
- Waived: WR Michael Thomas
New England Patriots
- Waived: RB J.J. Taylor
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: T Yasir Durant, DB Bryce Thompson
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: WR Wan’Dale Robinson (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: DL T.Y. McGill
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: K Josh Lambo