NFL Injury Notes: McCaffrey, Texans, Young, Brady, 49ers
Since signing a deal that gave him the highest average salary of any running back in the NFL, Christian McCaffrey has missed 23 of 33 games. From a high ankle sprain to a shoulder injury to a hamstring injury and back around to his ankle again, McCaffrey has seen more than his fair share of the injured reserve. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, McCaffrey reached out for some help this offseason.
Among a few others, one of the players McCaffrey sought help from was Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, one of two players who share with McCaffrey the distinction of recording at least 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season, the other being Roger Craig. Faulk was especially healthy later in his career despite having a tendency for a higher amount of total touches as a receiving back, his late health being a trait that McCaffrey would love to emulate.
Person reports that Panthers head coach Matt Rhule indicated McCaffrey would again be held out of the preseason and that the team is also looking into how they use their star during practice. McCaffrey, himself, has been tweaking his own offseason routine, in hopes of reversing his string of bad luck.
Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL, starting with two out of the Lone Star State:
- From an interview with Texans head coach Lovie Smith, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reports that pass rusher Jonathan Greenard and safety Eric Murray will be ready to return to the field by the time training camp rolls around. Greenard, who led the team in sacks last season with 8.0, underwent foot surgery over the offseason. Murray had shoulder surgery after starting 11 games for Houston last year.
- The Commanders are expecting former Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young to rejoin the team in the next couple of weeks, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. The young defensive end is coming off an ACL tear he suffered in a Week 10 game against the Buccaneers. Young was having a bit of a sophomore slump last year, only recording 1.5 sacks in nine games of action, but Washington will nonetheless be happy to reunite him with Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat, and Daron Payne in what may be the NFL’s best all-around pass rushing defensive line.
- Although not a recent injury, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady talked about the condition of his left knee in a call with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times this week. Last offseason saw Brady limited a bit due to surgery he underwent to repair the MCL tear he suffered during his last season in New England. With the injury far in the rearview mirror, Brady has reportedly been doing much more to prepare for the upcoming season this summer, “including some sprint work to help with his mobility.”
- Cam Inman of the East Bay Times reported an assertion from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan that San Francisco will likely play it safe and hold out tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner until training camp. About two of his stars, the sixth-year head coach claimed the team was “being smart” by using a little extra time to allow the two to get over their “lower half” issues.
49ers Rumors: Al-Shaair, Garoppolo, DBs
This will be a key year for Azeez Al-Shaair. The fourth-year linebacker is less than a year away from a possible free agency bid, and he may have an opportunity to join Fred Warner as a three-down ‘backer. With Dre Greenlaw missing much of last season due to injury, Al-Shaair stepped in as a full-timer. This season figures to determine which contract-year linebacker — Greenlaw or Al-Shaair — the 49ers aim to keep. The one that ends up playing less figures to be the cheaper option, with Matt Barrows of The Athletic noting that might be the player San Francisco attempts to retain (subscription required). Such a strategy would mesh better with Warner, who is tied to a top-market off-ball linebacker deal. A 2019 UDFA out of Florida Atlantic, Al-Shaair registered 102 tackles (nine for loss), two sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception in 13 games last season — his first as a full-timer. Al-Shaair, however, is recovering from offseason knee and shoulder surgeries, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. The team is targeting a training camp return for Al-Shaair.
Here is the latest out of San Francisco:
- New 49ers quarterbacks coach Brian Griese has dealt exclusively with the quarterbacks who have attended the team’s offseason program. He has not communicated with Jimmy Garoppolo since taking over, via Maiocco (on Twitter). While Garoppolo will surely still have a good grip on Kyle Shanahan‘s offense, this does mark another sign the franchise remains intent on finding a trade. Dealing Garoppolo is not a guarantee, but it has long been the team’s goal.
- Elijah Mitchell made a surprise ascent early last season, leapfrogging third-round pick Trey Sermon and finishing with 963 rushing yards in just 11 games. The 49ers added another third-round back this year, in LSU’s Tyrion Davis-Price, and have a new running backs coach in Anthony Lynn. The team still views Mitchell as its top backfield option, according to ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner, who adds the incumbent plans to be roughly 15 pounds heavier than he was last season. The 2021 sixth-round pick, who missed a chunk of the season due to multiple injuries, played at around 200 pounds as a rookie.
- K’Waun Williams operated as the 49ers’ slot cornerback for five years, signing multiple contracts to stay in that role. But the veteran defected to the Broncos in free agency this year. Veteran Darqueze Dennard could benefit. Despite being a January practice squad addition, Dennard resides as the top slot option for San Francisco as of OTAs, Barrows adds (subscription required). Fifth-round pick Samuel Womack may be Dennard’s top challenger, per Barrows. Although Dennard played in just two regular-season games last year (one as a Giant, one as a 49er), he spent several years as the Bengals’ primary slot defender. This will be the former first-rounder’s age-31 season.
- Jaquiski Tartt is not expected back with the 49ers this year. As of OTAs, Talanoa Hufanga and Tarvarius Moore reside as the top options to replace him, Barrows notes. Hufanga received the first crack at the strong safety job this week, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Moore’s contract tolled from 2021, a season he missed due to a torn Achilles suffered during the 49ers’ 2021 offseason program. The 49ers drafted Hufanga in last year’s fifth round; he started three games as a rookie. The team also signed ex-Colt safety George Odum this offseason.
Trey Lance Dealt With Finger Injury Throughout 2021 Season
Trey Lance did not seriously push Jimmy Garoppolo for the 49ers’ starting job last season, with the elder quarterback keeping it despite multiple injury issues. A Lance injury problem looks to have contributed to his low-key rookie year.
Although the 49ers undoubtedly wanted to slow-play it with the unique prospect — a Division I-FCS talent who played one full season of college football — Lance said this week he did not get over his finger injury sustained during the preseason. Lance suffered a chipped bone in his right index finger during the 49ers’ preseason finale, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. That injury did not heal until after the season.
The North Dakota State product said that index finger remained bent until after the fracture finally healed, noting that it did not straighten until around February. While Lance faced a steep learning curve, this injury undoubtedly hindered him during an erratic rookie year in which he completed 57.7% of his passes. Garoppolo, who suffered a calf strain early in the season, stayed on the field despite late-season injuries to his right thumb and right shoulder, the latter of which leading to a surgery that has altered his trade market.
“I think the finger for me was the biggest thing just as far as throwing the ball,” Lance said, via Branch. “I kind of had to learn how to throw the ball differently without using my pointer finger, I guess, just because of where [the injury] was at throughout the year.”
Only three quarterbacks chosen in the top three this century have started two or fewer games as rookies, with Lance joining JaMarcus Russell (two) and Michael Vick (one) in that regard. The expectation certainly is for Lance (two 2021 starts) to see much more time in 2022.
John Lynch has said Lance should be ready to take over this season, and with Garoppolo recovering from shoulder surgery and having been on the trade block for several months, the 21-year-old passer has a clear avenue toward doing so. Still, both Lynch and Kyle Shanahan hedging on a potential Garoppolo trade reopen the door to the 30-year-old veteran coming to training camp and potentially keeping his job.
This would be a financially difficult route for the 49ers, with Garoppolo’s $26.9MM cap number impacting the team’s ability to negotiate extensions with Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel. While Garoppolo would represent expensive (but potentially necessary) Lance insurance, a healthier version of Lance is poised to take the reins as an NFL sophomore.
49ers Prefer Daniel Brunskill As Swingman?
- Daniel Brunskill has started 35 straight regular-season games for the 49ers, slotting primarily at right guard. The fourth-year veteran has shown an ability to fill in at all five O-line spots, and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes the 49ers would prefer Brunskill as a super-sub rather than as the full-time starter. For this reality to unfold, the team would need a viable replacement. Jaylon Moore, a 2021 fifth-round pick who has moved inside from tackle, represents competition for the 49ers’ right guard position. Given Brunskill’s experience, benching him would be quite the gamble for a team that lost five-year left guard Laken Tomlinson in free agency and looks set to lose center Alex Mack to retirement.
Latest On 49ers C Alex Mack
While most of the questions surrounding San Francisco’s offense relate to the futures of Jimmy Garoppolo and Deebo Samuel, the decision center Alex Mack makes with respect to his career is significant as well. A final answer to the question of whether or not he will retire appears to be coming soon. 
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Mack is leaning towards ending his career. Despite the fact that two years remain on his current contract, he writes, “it appears that… Mack is ready to walk away from the game”. Not surprisingly, the team is leaving a final announcement up to him.
“I’ve talked to him here and there” head coach Kyle Shanahan said when asked about Mack’s future. “I’ve been in touch with him throughout the offseason… I’ve got a pretty good idea of what he’s doing… I’m going to leave that up to Alex, but I’ve got a pretty good idea.”
The notion that the 36-year-old could choose to retire this season isn’t new, of course. It was reported in April that Mack was considering doing just that; both Shanahan and general manager John Lynch stated at the time, however, that they were under the impression Mack would return for at least one more season. A retirement announcement in the near future would contradict their line of thought from one month ago, but it would also create a significant hole on the team’s offensive line.
In his first year with the 49ers, Mack earned his seventh Pro Bowl nod and continued his career-long streak of starting every game he was available for. If he were to retire, San Francisco would face even more turnover along their offensive front; left guard Laken Tomlinson signed with the Jets in free agency, while right tackle Mike McGlinchey was limited to eight games last season as a result of injury. The team added Spencer Burford and Nick Zakelj during the draft, but neither project as options at center at the NFL level.
Shanahan: ‘Not A Guarantee’ 49ers Trade Jimmy Garoppolo
Baker Mayfield‘s saga has generated considerable buzz, dwarfing Jimmy Garoppolo‘s time on the trade block for publicity. But the longtime 49ers starter is in the same boat, albeit with an unproven quarterback expected to replace him.
After entering the offseason with the plan of trading Garoppolo, the 49ers remain hopeful they can do so. But that is no longer a lock. After John Lynch alluded to the possibility Garoppolo plays out his contract with the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan did the same Tuesday.
“I expect at sometime he’ll be traded, but it’s not a guarantee,” Shanahan said, via the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman (on Twitter). “It went on hold when [surgery] happened.”
The 30-year-old quarterback underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder this offseason, putting him in a similar unavailability boat as Mayfield, who had surgery on his nonthrowing shoulder. Mayfield is expected to be ready by training camp. Garoppolo is expected to be ready for Week 1, but the surgery — which did not occur until March — changed the 49ers’ game plan here. They had entered trade talks previously, but Garoppolo’s operation scuttled those. San Francisco’s asking price — once believed to be a Day 2 pick — has almost certainly plummeted, with quarterback-needy teams moving to other options.
Lynch has said he believes Trey Lance is ready to take over, though CEO Jed York has also offered that the 49ers’ two quarterbacks can coexist for a second season. It would still surprise if Garoppolo was back on the 49ers next season. His $26.95MM cap number is holding up team business, which includes extensions for Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel. Frequent scrutiny and injuries aside, Garoppolo has quarterbacked the 49ers to two NFC championship games. He could represent the best option to keep San Francisco a contender, depending on Lance’s Year 2 readiness.
That said, Lance coming from a Division I-FCS program that did not have a season in 2020 — due to the pandemic — and having one year of college starter experience opens the door for a longer NFL onramp. The North Dakota State prospect did not seriously threaten Garoppolo’s QB1 status as a rookie and could find himself in a position battle again come camp, if Garoppolo is indeed still a 49er.
Garoppolo’s camp would likely not be thrilled by the veteran being a very expensive Lance insurance policy, especially considering other teams could still upgrade via the ninth-year veteran. But the 49ers, like the Browns, appear to be threatening to take push complex QB situation into training camp — potentially in hopes of an injury or underperformance entices a team to make a viable trade offer.
The Panthers and Seahawks have been more closely connected to Mayfield, with Carolina entering trade talks for the disgruntled Cleveland QB during the draft. But a Garoppolo-to-Carolina scenario should not be ruled out. It is more difficult to see the 49ers trading Garoppolo to a division rival, though precedents exist — most notably in 2010’s Donovan McNabb Philadelphia-to-Washington swap. The Texans emerged on the radar here just before the draft, which featured no Houston QB picks. Nick Caserio was in New England throughout Garoppolo’s time there, but acquiring the contract-year QB now would impede Davis Mills‘ development.
Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa Absent From 49ers’ OTAs
As OTAs begin around the league, one of each team’s top storylines has to do with attendance. In the 49ers’ case this year, the bulk of attention is of course drawn to Deebo Samuel. As noted by Matt Barrows of the Athletic (subscription required), the wideout is not with the team currently. 
That comes as no surprise, of course; Samuel was named as one of three 2019 draftees who would be skipping on-field work back in April. The timing of the decision was due to the fact that this offseason marks the first in which he can sign a new contract, and the recent dramatic upward trend in the receiver market around the league.
More specific to the Samuel situation in particular is the matter of his tenuous relationship with the club. The 26-year-old requested a trade, despite the team publicly stating that they had budgeted for an extension. A number of teams were interested in acquiring the All-Pro, including the Jets. New York was believed to have offered the No. 10 pick in the draft for him, but Samuel remains on the team for now.
San Francisco has made it clear they intend for that to remain the case, and that they did not get seriously involved in trade talks. With the draft having come and gone, and relations apparently warming to an extent between the two parties, attention is once again turning to his contract situation. The progress made on that front will remain a situation worth watching in the coming weeks.
As Barrows also notes, Nick Bosa is not in attendance for OTAs. The two-time Pro Bowler is working out with his brother Joey Bosa, which, Barrow writes, “he’d likely do if he had a long-term contract or not”. As another member of San Francisco’s 2019 draft class, Bosa is also eligible for a significant raise, though there has been far less controversy surrounding his contract status. Still, the way the 49ers handle the current situation with two of their young stars will be one of the top stories of their offseason.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/23/22
We’ve got a number of minor NFL transactions to pass your way:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Diego Fagot
- Released: S Chris Moore
Chicago Bears
- Waived from IR: LB Ledarius Mack
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Reggie Robinson
- Waived: QB Felix Harper
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE Darrell Daniels
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: QB James Morgan
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Malkelm Morrison
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: LB Jake Gervase
New York Jets
- Signed: WR D.J. Montgomery
- Waived from NFI: WR Rodney Adams
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DL Chris Slayton
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OT Aaron Monteiro
49ers To Sign TE Tyler Kroft
San Francisco is already well-stocked at the top of the depth chart at the tight end position, but they are adding experienced depth. The 49ers are signing Tyler Kroft to a one-year deal, as announced by his agent (and passed along, on Twitter, by ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
Kroft, 29, began his career with the Bengals in 2015, who drafted him in the third round. He played a rotational role in Cincinnati for the first two seasons of his career, but took on a starter’s workload in 2017. Starting all 16 contests in that campaign, he put up personal bests across the board, posting 42 catches for 404 yards and seven touchdowns.
Things took a turn for the worse in 2018, however. Kroft suffered a foot injury which ultimately landed him on IR and limited him to five games. Many felt that would limit the value of his next deal, but he received a three-year contract from the Bills that offseason. He was unavailable for 11 combined games across two seasons spent in Buffalo, again reduced to a rotational role when he was on the field.
That led him to a one-year deal with the Jets last offseason. The term of that contract was more in line with what was expected coming off of his Bengals tenure. In nine games in the Big Apple, Kroft made just 16 receptions, meaning it came as little surprise that he wouldn’t be returning after the team added C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin in free agency.
In San Francisco, the Rutgers product will compete for playing time behind All-Pro George Kittle. If he can stay healthy, he should be able to contribute as a complimentary piece to the team’s passing game as they try to make another deep postseason run.
NFL Staff Notes: Bears, Jaguars, 49ers, Raiders
New Bears general manager Ryan Poles announced several promotions and additions to the team’s scouting and football administration departments this week.
Breck Ackley has been promoted from area scout to assistant director of college scouting. Former pro scout Chris White is now assistant director of pro scouting. Former national scouts Sam Summerville and Francis Saint Paul have added “senior” to the their titles. Ashton Washington made a large leap going from a scouting assistant to player personnel coordinator. Fellow former scouting assistant Charles Love has been made a pro scout. In terms of area scouts, John Syty will now cover the Southwest area, Brendan Rehor will cover the Southeast area, Tom Bradway comes from the Raiders to cover the Northeast area, and former long-time Texans scout Ryan Cavanaugh comes from Ohio State to cover the Midwest area. Finally, Ryan Weese joins the staff from Montana State as a scouting assistant.
Mike Santarelli has been promoted from director of football systems to executive director of football technology. Former salary cap/pro scouting analyst James Cosh has been promoted to manager of football administration/pro scout.
Here are a few other staff hires from around the NFL:
- According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, former 49ers vice president Ethan Waugh has been hired by Jacksonville in the role of assistant general manager, rejoining Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke, whom he worked with from 2005-16. With Waugh out of the picture, San Francisco’s player personnel hierarchy is much clearer with assistant general manager Adam Peters and director of player personnel Ran Carthon directly under general manager John Lynch.
- The Raiders have made an addition to their football analytics department, according to ESPN’s Seth Walder, hiring Brad Goldsberry away from Chicago to serve as director of football systems.