September 19th, 2023 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson
Released from the Steelers’ practice squad last week, Anthony Brown has another deal in place. This one will provide a spot on a 53-man roster.
The 49ers are signing Brown to their active roster, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. A six-year Cowboys contributor, Brown is attempting to come back from a December 2022 Achilles tear.
San Francisco saw two of its corners — starters Deommodore Lenoir and Ambry Thomas — exit during its Week 2 win in Los Angeles. Lenoir was cleared from concussion protocol, returning to the game and intercepting a Matthew Stafford pass, but Thomas did not return to action. With the 49ers preparing to host the Giants in a Thursday-night matchup, they are short on time to have the third-year corner back in action.
Lenoir has worked as San Francisco’s nickel starter in each of the first two games but moved outside when Thomas went down against the Rams, bringing offseason addition Isaiah Oliver back into the mix. The 49ers closed the game with a Lenoir-Oliver-Charvarius Ward corner combination. Brown is on track to become a depth piece.
Brown, 29, spent much of his Cowboys tenure as the team’s primary slot corner. He fared well enough to earn a second contract with the team. The Cowboys re-signed Brown to a three-year, $15.5MM deal in 2020 and kept him in place as a regular during Dan Quinn‘s first two seasons. Last year’s tear has thrown the 2017 sixth-rounder’s career off course, but the 49ers evidently feel comfortable with his form.
Quinn used Brown as a full-time player up until the injury, using the 5-foot-11 cover man on at least 90% of Dallas’ defensive snaps in each of the past two seasons. Helping the Cowboys rebound from a dreadful 2020 defensive effort, Brown played a career-high 1,048 defensive snaps in 2021. He intercepted three passes that year, giving him nine for his career. The Cowboys, who also lost Jourdan Lewis to a season-ending injury last year, traded for Stephon Gilmore in March and are using 2022 Brown replacement DaRon Bland as their slot defender this year.
September 18th, 2023 at 5:41pm CST by Sam Robinson
Budda Baker did not suit up against the Giants on Sunday, missing the wild Week 2 NFC matchup after suffering a hamstring injury during practice Friday. The Cardinals will be without their defensive leader for a while as a result.
The team placed Baker on injured reserve Monday. Although Baker missed Sunday’s game, the Cardinals putting him on IR a day later means he must miss the next four Arizona games. Baker will be eligible to return in Week 7. This will be the longest absence of Baker’s career. He came into the season having missed five games in six years.
This transaction comes several weeks after the Cardinals and Baker reached an agreement to bring him back into the fold. Baker had requested a trade in February, and the ask became public in April. A push to secure a more lucrative contract drove the Baker trade request, and while the team offered a small incentive package and guaranteed his 2023 salary weeks before it would have become locked in, the perennial Pro Bowl safety remains attached to the $14.75MM-per-year deal he signed in 2020.
The Cardinals refused to trade Baker, though it will be interesting to see if the team changes its tune once the seventh-year veteran moves toward recovering. Baker, 27, can return on Oct. 22 — nine days before this year’s trade deadline. He is attached to a $13MM base salary. Considering the Cardinals’ approach change this year, they appear likely to be sellers at the deadline. It would certainly not shock to see Baker’s name come up in trade rumors before the Halloween deadline. Baker is signed through 2024.
Baker has three All-Pro nods on his resume, two of those coming as a safety, and has been invited to five Pro Bowls. He faced a potential IR stint last season, suffering a high ankle sprain. But the resilient defender managed to avoid missing any time. Baker did, however, miss the final two games of last season with a fractured shoulder.
To replace Baker on their 53-man roster, the Cardinals signed Qwuantrezz Knight off the 49ers’ practice squad. A San Francisco UDFA last year, Knight spent the season on the team’s practice squad and signed a reserve/futures deal in January. Knight has yet to play in a regular-season game.
Bengals fans have been plenty frustrated with the team’s return on investment from quarterback Joe Burrow‘s record-breaking extension. Through two games, Burrow has averaged 152 yards per game while throwing two touchdowns and an interception. People were concerned about the calf injury that forced him out of practice early in training camp this summer and how it would affect him as the season began. Burrow has pointed to that injury as a big reason for some of his early struggles, according to Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network.
Morrison noted that Burrow spoke “with a level of concern” after today’s game when addressing his right calf. He claimed to have tweaked his calf in today’s loss to the Ravens. Not only did he consider it a factor today, and likely last week, but he also thought there was a chance that it could end up being a tight rope that he is forced to walk for the remainder of the season.
It’s not difficult to see that the Burrow we’ve seen so far this year has been far from what we’re used to seeing in recent years. It will be interesting to see how the Bengals move forward with the handling of Burrow’s calf. Pushing him too hard could result in an extended absence, while a short reprieve of a week or two could help him get on top of a recovery that seems to be troubling him. There’s a lot of season left to go, and the Bengals will be keeping a close eye on Burrow in the days and weeks to come.
Here are a few other updates from around the NFL:
Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson got off to a hot start in the second game of his NFL career, rushing for two touchdowns early in today’s divisional matchup with the Texans. Richardson had to exit the game in the first half, though, after sustaining a concussion that would hold him out for the remainder of the contest. Richardson was replaced by backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, who helped secure the team’s first win of the season. Richardson will need to go through concussion protocols in order to return to the field. This season, the protocols for return take about five days to get through, meaning Richardson absolutely has a chance to return for Week 3 if he can pass the necessary tests. If not, Minshew will continue to play in relief.
Giants running back Saquon Barkley was injured in the final two minutes of today’s win over the Cardinals. He was obviously kept out of the remainder of the game but was visibly upset on the sideline while surrounded by trainers. They taped Barkley’s ankle, but he continued to walk with a significant limp. According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, an x-ray was performed after the game, while Barkley was still experiencing some swelling and discomfort. It has now been reported as a sprained ankle, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, meaning New York may have dodged a giant bullet, forgive the pun. While this bodes well for Barkley’s season-long prospects, the short week will not be his friend. Expect the Giants to exercise caution and, barring a miracle recovery, hold Barkley out for their Thursday night matchup against the 49ers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Barkley will undergo an MRI tomorrow in order to determine the severity of the injury and gain an idea of just how much time he may miss.
Joining Richardson above, Commanders tight end Logan Thomas left the team’s win over the Broncos today with a concussion that he sustained after getting clobbered over the middle by Denver safety Kareem Jackson. Jackson was ejected for the hit. Backup tight ends John Bates and Cole Turner both got significant run in Thomas’ absence and will continue to do so if he isn’t able to return next week.
Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (knee), Cowboys right guard Zack Martin (ankle), and Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle) all sustained injuries today that kept them out of their respective games. Reports from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Jane Slater and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tell us that none of these injuries are considered serious.
SEPTEMBER 16: San Francisco officially announced the move today, confirming that Womack will be unavailable for the foreseeable future while he treats his knee injury. While not yet a permanent solution, the 49ers have opted to promote Swilling (mentioned below) as a standard gameday elevation from the practice squad. Swilling has yet to appear in an NFL game, so if needed, he will be making his NFL debut tomorrow.
SEPTEMBER 15: The depth of the 49ers’ cornerback group will continue to be tested as second-year corner Samuel Womack has been placed on injured reserve, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. This absence stems from a practice injury that affected the 24-year-old’s MCL.
There’s been mixed speculation on the seriousness of the injury and the timetable for a return. Womack won’t require surgery, which should lessen the recovery time needed and help him to avoid a season-ending IR stint. Instead, he will heal on his own and rehabilitate in an attempt to make it back to the field this year.
So, Womack be on short-term IR with the potential to return. When he will be able to return, though, is still up for speculation. Some have classified him as out indefinitely, insinuating that it’s too early to estimate when he could come off of the injured list. Others have pinned it as a likely six- to eight-week absence. It’s mostly tricky due to the finicky nature of knee injuries. They can be difficult to diagnose perfectly and can require lengthy recoveries.
In Womack’s rookie season last year, he began his career with a Week 1 start in Chicago. Over the remainder of the season, his role slowly diminished into short rotations and special teams appearances. Sometimes, he would get a decent look on defense, twice playing over half the team’s snaps on that side of the ball. More often (seven times), he failed to see the field on defense at all, solely playing on special teams. Week 1 of this year saw that inconsistent role continue as Womack played sparsely on defense, mainly appearing with the special teams unit.
Womack’s potential to play in the slot was once again usurped by starter Deommodore Lenoir. When Lenoir wasn’t in the slot, offseason additionIsaiah Oliver manned the nickelback role. San Francisco likes to start Lenoir in the slot, flanked by Charvarius Ward and Ambry Thomas on the perimeters. When Thomas subs out, Lenoir will shift outside and Oliver will fill his slot.
Womack was the only depth behind those top-four on the roster with rookie cornerback Darrell Luter on the physically unable to perform list with a bone bruise as a result of a hyperextended knee. With both Womack and Luter out for at least three more weeks, the 49ers may need to get creative. The team has three practice squad cornerbacks (Shemar Jean-Charles, Qwuantrezz Knight, and Tre Swilling) who can provide depth, if needed.
September 15th, 2023 at 10:23pm CST by Sam Robinson
Suffering a ruptured Achilles four plays into his Jets tenure, Aaron Rodgersunderwent surgery this week. The four-time MVP was close to retiring before joining the Jets, but he offered a clue into his post-2023 plans shortly after the injury. Early signs point to Rodgers playing in 2024.
Rodgers still did not slam the door shut on a question Friday about returning this season, in the event the Jets make the playoffs. While the 39-year-old passer refused to put a timetable on his comeback effort, he included a Kevin Garnett/”anything is possible” reference — in response to a question about coming back in the postseason — during his latest Pat McAfee Show appearance (video link).
“It doesn’t do any good to make prognostications, other than help my own mental state, but yeah, I’m gonna try and push this thing as much as it’ll allow me to,” Rodgers said. “There’s markers I’ve gotta see — where I’m at after a week and two weeks and a month and two months — and then we’ll see what the conversation is from there.”
Players have returned months after Achilles injuries in the not-so-distant past. Terrell Suggs and Michael Crabtree came back from their maladies — in 2012 and 2013, respectively — during the regular season. Of course, the Ravens linebacker and 49ers wide receiver both went down in May. Suggs returned Oct. 21; Crabtree was back Dec. 1. Cam Akers suffered an Achilles tear in July 2021; he returned in time for the Rams’ Week 18 game that season. Of course, Akers was not effective upon coming back that year.
Rodgers is considerably older than this trio at the time of injury, and it would be shocking if he became a realistic candidate to come back this season. It certainly says a lot about his change in mindset upon being traded that he would go from being “90% retired” to considering a radical comeback in the event the Jets made the playoffs — or advanced deep into the postseason.
“Give me the doubts, give me the timetables, give me all the things that you think can, should or will happen, because all I need is that one little extra percent of inspiration,” Rodgers said. “That’s all I need. So, give me your doubts, give me your prognostications and then watch what I do.”
The Jets have not signed a quarterback to fill out their depth chart. Although Zach Wilson underwhelmed to the point the Jets benched him and then charted an aggressive course to add a veteran, the team has attempted to throw its support behind the former No. 2 overall pick as a starter. Ex-Rodgers Packers backup Tim Boyle is in place as Wilson’s backup ahead of Week 2. The Jets have been connected to Colt McCoy, Brett Rypien and the recently retired Chad Henne in the wake of Rodgers’ injury. McCoy remains a free agent, and no indications have emerged Henne would unretire if asked to do so. The Rams bumped Rypien to their 53-man roster to prevent a potential Jets poaching, but CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson indicates Gang Green’s Rypien interest was not believed to be serious.
On another front, John Lynch said Friday (via the San Jose Mercury News’ Can Inman) the 49ers did not receive a call from the Jets on Sam Darnold. With the 49ers trading Trey Lance to the Cowboys last month, trading Darnold back to the Jets would seemingly be a nonstarter for a team that has dealt with a number of QB injuries in recent years. The Jets made the decision to trade their three-year starter in 2021 and draft Wilson in 2021, collecting second-, fourth- and sixth-round picks from the Panthers.
September 14th, 2023 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson
The late 2010s featured three offseasons filled with Kirk Cousins headlines. A number of “what if?” scenarios emerged from the saga that produced two Cousins franchise tags and a fully guaranteed Vikings free agency offer.
Residing as a key player in the Cousins market — due to Kyle Shanahan‘s ties to the productive quarterback — the 49ers removed themselves from the equation back in 2018, when they re-signed then-recent trade acquisition Jimmy Garoppolo. Shanahan had confirmed at the time the organization had Cousins on the radar between the point of the Garoppolo trade (October 2017) and his extension (February 2018). San Francisco was willing to make a bigger move for Shanahan’s former Washington pupil before that point.
A source rather close to this situation, Mike Shanahan said Kyle was willing to offer Washington the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft for Cousins, via The Athletic’s Alec Lewis (subscription required). The 49ers’ 2-14 showing in 2016 led them to holding the second overall pick in 2017, the first year of the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch regime. After making back-to-back HCs one-and-dones, 49ers CEO Jed York gave Shanahan and Lynch six-year contracts. The second-generation NFL HC appeared prepared to put the long leash to good use in the first weeks of his San Francisco tenure.
At the time, we heard three teams expressed interest in Cousins via trade. Washington had franchise-tagged Cousins in 2016 and was preparing to do so again, and the 49ers always appeared likely to be involved in an effort to acquire him. Prior to venturing to Cleveland and then Atlanta, Kyle Shanahan had coached Cousins for two seasons in Washington, operating as his father’s OC.
An offer of the No. 2 overall pick for a franchise-caliber QB going into his age-29 season would have been interesting, but Mike Shanahan indicated, via Lewis, his former team “wouldn’t even return the phone call.”
Dan Snyder and president Bruce Allen ran the Washington franchise at this point, and stability proved elusive. Contentious negotiations took place later that year, with Allen famously mispronouncing Cousins’ first name — the “Kurt” interview — multiple times in the wake of a second round of July negotiations not producing a deal. Cousins, of course, played out a second season on the tag and signed a fully guaranteed three-year, $84MM deal with the Vikings in 2018.
This trade proposal also came about during a period that did not feature the quarterback movement the 2020s have brought. This saga played a part in that change. After previously being told Garoppolo was unavailable, the 49ers quickly accepted the Patriots’ offer of the then-Tom Brady backup for a second-rounder. Three months later, Washington agreed to trade for Alex Smith — more than a month before Cousins hit free agency — in 2018.
The 49ers did not carry a starter-level QB into the 2017 season, beginning the year with Brian Hoyer and third-round pick C.J. Beathard as their top options. They had used the high draft choice on Solomon Thomas, trading down with the Bears, who had drafted Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2. The early part of the 49ers’ 2017 draft did not age well, with Thomas going ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson and the team’s No. 31 overall choice (Reuben Foster) washing out after multiple off-field incidents. Shanahan’s team found its footing with Garoppolo in the years to come, though QB headlines have been constant during the Garoppolo-Trey Lance–Brock Purdy era in San Francisco.
Cousins, 35, is now in the final year of his third Vikings contract. The team extended its starter for a second time in 2022 but only restructured the deal in 2023. Cousins does not expect another round of Vikes talks until 2024, though he has said many times he wants to stay in Minnesota. It would be unlikely the 49ers would circle back to Cousins were he to reach free agency next year, as Brock Purdy has received steady praise from Shanahan. But with Lance gone and the former Mr. Irrelevant not yet fully entrenched as a long-term option, this door may not be fully closed.
Jefferson earned third-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2022 after finishing with 51 receptions for 810 yards and seven touchdowns. Thanks to his performance, the receiver was projected to be a mid-round pick in the 2023 draft. However, Jefferson was injured in a car accident in April that killed another driver, and the player required multiple surgeries.
He was expected to resume his career in 2024, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported earlier this month that Jefferson had been cleared by doctors to “fly, take physicals and join a team.”
It sounds like his first opportunity could come in San Francisco. The 49ers are currently stashing four receivers on their practice squad in Willie Snead, Chris Conley, Tay Martin, and Isaiah Winstead.
More notes from around the NFL…
Saints safety Marcus Maye got six months of probation stemming from a 2021 driving under the influence charge, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. Maye will have his drivers license suspended for six months as a result of the plea deal, and he was also given 50 hours of community service with the opportunity to buy them out. Maye allegedly crashed into another car while driving on the Florida Turnpike and was initially charged with driving under the influence, DUI/damage to property and person, and leaving the scene of the crash. The player also continues to deal with a civil suit from the driver of the other car who is seeking $30K due to injuries.
The NFL International Pathway Program has expanded in scope since it’s inception in 2016, with the 2023 iteration allowing teams from the AFC West and NFC North to allocate an extra roster spot to an international player. According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, the NFL will provide an international player exception to all 32 teams starting in 2024. There are currently 24 active players who participated in the International Pathway Program.
The NFL has established an ownership committee that will evaluate current ownership rules, potentially allowing “institutional capital” to invest in teams, per Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal. As Liz Clarke, Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske of the Washington Post write, this committee could open the door to private equity firms buying stakes in teams, following the ownership rules previously established by the NBA, MLB, and NHL. Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports that the committee includes Falcons owner ArthurBlank, Patriots owner RobertKraft, Browns owner JimmyHaslam, Chiefs owner ClarkHunt, and Broncos owner GregPenner.
Nick Bosa was a popular name on the trade market before he inked his record-breaking extension with the 49ers. According to FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer, five teams reached out to the 49ers about Bosa’s availability.
According to Glazer, these potential suitors were hoping the 49ers wouldn’t agree to a long-term deal with the impending free agent, who was holding out for a new contract. San Francisco naturally shut down all inquiries before signing Bosa to an extension.
Bosa held out throughout the summer as he pushed for a new contract, and the 49ers ultimately handed him a massive five-year, $170MM extension. The contract made Bosa the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, and despite the inquires from other squads, the pass rusher should remain in San Francisco through at least the 2028 season.
It’s not a shock that rivals teams expressed interest in acquiring Bosa. The former second-overall pick has been a force when healthy, especially over the past two seasons. Between 2021 and 2022, Bosa collected 34 sacks, 40 tackles for loss, 80 QB hits, and six forced fumbles. This culminated in him winning Defensive Player of the Year last season.
The 49ers had reportedly been budgeting for a Bosa extension for some time, and the organization never seemed to consider a future without their star pass rusher. Both KyleShanahan and JohnLynch publicly said that Bosa would not be traded despite the long-running negotiations, and the pass rusher didn’t add any fuel to the fire by keeping mostly quiet throughout the ordeal.
The team had to deal with a public trade request last offseason when Deebo Samuel reportedly asked out of San Francisco. However, the wideout didn’t engage in a hold out, and he ended up inking a three-year extensions with the 49ers.
The Commanders had the biggest offseason front office staff change of any other franchise as Josh Harrisbecame the new team owner in Washington. There are plenty of issues that need to be addressed throughout the organization, and surely, Harris will be getting to all of them, eventually. Early this morning, though, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports gave some insight into what may be a top priority for the new executive.
While recent rumors surfaced claiming that another change to the team’s name was imminent, Jones reports that, for now, they will remain the Commanders, as a name change “isn’t being seriously considered at this time.” While getting back to a winning culture and reconnecting with the community are certainly among the top priorities, the biggest issue is reportedly finding a new stadium to play in.
The team recently hired Thad Sheely as a consultant in the endeavor. Sheely was instrumental “in the development of MetLife Stadium more than a decade ago.” With FedEx Field routinely being considered one of the league’s worst facilities, the brass has been working with local governments in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia to discuss potential sites or public funding.
The organization would ideally like to have a site selected by the end of 2024, while the construction of a stadium that can “host major events like a Final Four and Super Bowl would take about four years” more. The team’s current lease at FedEx Field is active through 2026.
Here are some other recent staff updates from around the NFL:
The Packersannounced the addition of Maureen Smith as the team’s new chief financial officer last month. Smith comes to the NFL from the MLS, where she most recently served as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Minnesota United FC. Beginning her career as a CPA in public accounting, Smith now has “more than 20 years of diverse experience across the sports, healthcare, consulting, and finance industries.
The Colts made an effort at the end of August to replace the analytics value lost in John Park‘s departure for Dallas and George Li‘s departure for Carolina. Indianapolis hired Greg Starekas their new director of football analytics, according to Nate Atkins of the Indy Star. Starek joined the 49ers last year as a senior performance analyst after a career as a data scientist for the San Francisco Giants of the MLB. He’ll continue to carve out his space in the NFL in Indy.
The Cardinals brought in a new executive to focus on the business side of the team last month. According to Cardinals director of editorial content and senior writer Darren Urban, Jeremy Walls is that new executive, serving as the team’s new chief operating officer. Walls most recently spent the last several years in Miami with the Dolphins.
The Ramsexperienced a departure in their staff near the end of last month, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Former director of football affairs Jacques McClendon has left the team to join the WME Sports agency. McClendon will now be an agent working in the agency’s coaches and executives division.
As if they needed to, the 49ers made moves yesterday to increase their already NFL-leading unused salary cap space up to $42.29MM in 2023 (Overthecap.com). This time, San Francisco addressed the contract of defensive tackle Arik Armstead, according to Field Yates of ESPN.
The 49ers came to an agreement with Armstead, who’s currently playing on a five-year, $85MM contract, to convert $14.72MM of his 2023 base salary into a signing bonus while adding an additional void year to the end of his current deal. The moved resulted in $11.78MM becoming available in cap space for the 2023 season.
We mentioned yesterday that the additional cap space for the 49ers could have multiple uses that benefit the team. The obvious immediate benefit is that San Francisco should have plenty of flexibility around the trade deadline to make any necessary additions.
If second-year quarterback Brock Purdy decides to continue adding to his flawless regular season record and the team deems that no additions are necessary, the 49ers will be able to roll over unused cap space into 2024, when they’re projected to be $40MM over the salary cap. They’ll likely still make additions or adjustments in the offseason that will make it a closer call but having over $42MM of cap space to play with is insanely valuable.
Here are a couple of other restructures from another 2022 NFC playoff squad:
Shortly after rewarding defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence with a four-year, $87.5MM contract extension, the Giantshave restructured his new deal for a bit of maneuverability in the team’s cap space, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. Lawrence’s 2023 base salary of $2.25MM was reduced down to $1.08MM with the difference of $1.17MM being converted into a signing bonus. This is a standard move at the start of the year to help create a bit of flexibility in the team’s salary cap.
New York also adjusted the contract of new linebacker Bobby Okereke, according to Raanan. Okereke’s 2023 base salary of $1.9MM was also reduced to $1.08MM with the $820K-difference being converted into a signing bonus. Along with Lawrence’s above restructure, the team was reportedly able to clear up about $1.55MM of cap space for 2023.
The 49ers are signing Brown to their active roster, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. A six-year Cowboys contributor, Brown is attempting to come back from a December 2022 Achilles tear.
