Dante Pettis, Marquise Goodwin Suffer Injuries
- A pair of 49ers wideouts suffered injuries today, but they don’t sound as bad as they may have looked. Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets that rookie receiver Dante Pettis suffered an MCL injury, which is much better than the ACL injury that some were expecting. The second-round rookie has been productive in recent weeks, and he’s hauled in 24 receptions for 446 yards and five scores this season. Meanwhile, teammate Marquise Goodwin suffered an Achilles injury, but Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets that the injury isn’t serious. After a breakout season in 2017, Goodwin has struggled this year, compiling 20 receptions for 366 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games.
[SOURCE LINK]
Raiders In Discussions With San Francisco Giants About 2019 Home Site
The city of San Francisco does not have an NFL team playing within its city limits, with 49ers home games being played at the Santa Clara-based Levi’s Stadium.
It’s possible that may change in 2019. The Raiders have engaged in discussions with the San Francisco Giants about playing their home games next season at AT&T Park.
“There has been initial interest expressed in exploring the opportunity of the Raiders playing at AT&T Park … many details would need to be figured out,” the MLB team said in a statement. “The Giants want to do what’s best for Bay Area fans and would be open to the concept just as we hosted Cal Football in 2011 when Memorial Stadium in Berkeley was being renovate.”
With Oakland suing the Raiders, the franchise’s 2019 home is much less certain than it once was. The team’s Las Vegas domed stadium is not scheduled to be ready until 2020, and this suit may scuttle the Raiders’ intentions of playing one more season in Oakland.
A few cities have reached out to the team, Raiders president Marc Badain said (via Vince Sapienza of Fox 5, on Twitter), adding the Raiders intend to speak to a few sites about a solution they hope doesn’t disrupt the team much. Mark Davis said all options remain open.
Davis and Giants CEO Larry Baer were part of discussions for San Francisco to host the 2024 Olympics years back, per ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez. While AT&T Park has been mentioned previously, Gutierrez notes other cities — Reno, Nev., Glendale, Ariz., San Diego and a temporary partnership with the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium — remain in play. Oakland also remains an option, in the event a deal can still be brokered. Portland and Seattle have also been mentioned as stopgap solutions, but the NFL appears to view the best solution being the Raiders staying in the Bay Area.
A possible stumbling block to the Raiders playing at the National League stadium is the 49ers having territorial rights to San Francisco. The 49ers would need to consent to the Raiders playing at AT&T Park, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The 49ers have previously expressed that they would be open to the Raiders sharing their Santa Clara stadium but have not addressed a possible scenario where the Raiders play in San Francisco. Davis has not shown much enthusiasm for sharing a stadium with the 49ers.
AT&T Park, which can hold 45,000 fans in an expanded football capacity, is a much closer trek from Oakland compared to Levi’s Stadium. In addition to housing the Cal Golden Bears in 2011, the MLB venue was home for the XFL’s San Francisco Demons in 2001. A bowl game (an event now known as the Redbox Bowl) was also played there from 2002-13. Interestingly, the bowl games and Cal’s home contests in 2011 featured both teams standing on the same sideline, Gutierrez points out.
49ers Place Jaquiski Tartt On IR
The 49ers will place safety Jaquiski Tartt on injured reserve, according to head coach Mike Shanahan. Tartt has been dealing with a shoulder injury that will benefit from rest rather than playing in the team’s final two regular season games. 
A second-round pick in 2015, the 49ers rewarded Tartt with a two-year, $13MM extension prior to this season. Unfortunately, the injury bug has held him back for a second season in a row. In 2017, a broken forearm limited him to nine games. This year, he’ll finish out with just eight appearances thanks to his shoulder.
Tartt recorded 42 total tackles, two passes defensed, and an interception in his partial season. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 46 safety in the NFL, framing him as a starter, though not a top-tier option. Tartt earned a solid score for his run defense, but his coverage score left much to be desired.
Tartt’s extension has him under contract through 2020 with cap numbers of $5.1MM and $6.4MM in each of the next two seasons.
49ers, DeForest Buckner To Discuss Deal
Earlier this week, Kyle Shanahan identified DeForest Buckner as a player he wanted to be a 49er for many years. The franchise appears to be intent on exploring how to make that happen soon.
Buckner becomes extension-eligible after this season, and the standout defensive tackle said his representatives plan to meet with the 49ers this coming offseason, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Connecting the dots points to early extension discussions.
Represented by Joel Segal and Charlie Fields, Buckner said (via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News, Twitter link) he and his agents have discussed offseason strategy in recent weeks. Despite narrowly missing the NFC’s Pro Bowl roster, Buckner has been one of the NFL’s best interior defenders this season and would be in line to command a top-market deal.
While Buckner becomes eligible to sign a new deal soon, the 49ers can control him on his rookie contract through the 2020 season. That non-decision decision is due in May. Buckner has 11 sacks — already the most by a 49ers inside defender since Dana Stubblefield 20 years ago — and does not turn 25 until next year. The top non-Aaron Donald defensive tackle price will be within reach.
Considering Donald’s recently agreed-to extension is worth $22.5MM per year and the next-highest-paid inside lineman is Fletcher Cox at $17.1MM AAV, there will be some gap-bridging for these sides to do. But some preliminary talks are likely about to commence.
49ers Notes: Garoppolo, Buckner
49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has a “real good chance” to participate — at least, on a limited basis — during San Francisco’s 2019 organized team activities in late May/early June of 2019, head coach Kyle Shanahan told Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Garoppolo suffered a torn ACL in late September, so returning at the end of the May would give him roughly eight months of recovery. As Shanahan notes, quarterbacks like Garoppolo aren’t necessarily going to need the same amount of recovery time as a player at another position that needs to run and cut, so May seems like a realistic target date.
- Shanahan also told reporters that he hasn’t necessarily considered an extension for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, but was quick to add that Buckner is someone the 49ers want on their roster “for a long time,” tweets Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Buckner will become eligible for a new deal when San Francisco’s season concludes, but there’s no rush, as he’ll be under contract through 2020 when the 49ers inevitably exercise his fifth-year option for 2020. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Buckner has become an under-the-radar superstar in his third NFL campaign, ranking fifth among interior defenders in tackles for loss and seventh in quarterback hits.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/19/18
Today’s practice squad updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Bryant Mitchell; T Ryker Mathews; LBs Tobi Antigha, Sam Eguavoen, Pete Robertson, Alex Singleton, Jameer Thurman; K Ty Long
Buffalo Bills
- QB Bo Levi Mitchell; WRs Diontae Spencer, D’haquille Williams; TE Evan Baylis; LB Cory James
Chicago Bears
- QB Bo Levi Mitchell; WRs Marken Michel, Jordan Williams-Lambert; TE Clive Walford
Cincinnati Bengals
- G Avery Gennesy
Cleveland Browns
- RB Jarvion Franklin; TE Kevin Rader; G Ian Park; DT Lance McDowell; S Jack Tocho
Green Bay Packers
- WRs Chris Brown, Ka’Raun Williams; CB Trevon Mathis
Houston Texans
- LB Dominique Alexander; DB Tevaughn Campbell; CB Craig Mager; S Tyvis Powell
Indianapolis Colts
- LB Greer Martini; Ss Isaiah Johnson, Afolabi Laguda; K Ty Long
Los Angeles Chargers
- LB Jameer Thurman; DEs Tobi Antigha, Kwaku Boateng; S Chris Edwards
New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers
- G Marcus Oliver; T Blaine Clausell; DL Kapron Lewis-Moore
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- G Chris Schleuger; T Dakoda Shepley; DB Tevaughn Campbell; Ks Jon Brown, Trevor Moore; Ps Hayden Hunt, Ryan Winslow; LS Zach Triner
Washington Redskins
- RB Akrum Wadley; CBs Doran Grant, Dexter McDougle, Sojourn Shelton; Ss Dexter McCoil, Stephen Roberts
Practice Squad Updates: 12/19/18
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Pete Robertson, S Fish Smithson
- Released: OL Justin Evans
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Christian Blake, OL Chris Durant
- Released: WR Julian Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Landon Turner, LB Antwione Williams
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Justin Stockton
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB Arrion Springs
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Toby Weathersby
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Martez Carter
- Released: QB J.T. Barrett
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Cayson Collins
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Jordan Smallwood
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL Marcus Henry
- Released: WR Damore’ea Stringfellow
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Alec James
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DB Alex Carter, WR Montay Crockett, DB Jack Tocho
NFL Workout Updates: 12/18/18
Here is the latest from the workout circuit, all links going to Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio’s Twitter account (unless otherwise noted).
Arizona Cardinals
- S Shamarko Thomas (link)
Buffalo Bills
- QB Garrett Gilbert, TE Erik Swoope (visit), QB Logan Woodside (Twitter links via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak and Field Yates)
Green Bay Packers
- QB Paxton Lynch (link)
Los Angeles Chargers
- DE Avery Ellis (link)
San Francisco 49ers
- DE Terence Fede, LB Lorenzo Mauldin (link)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- DE Farrington Huguenin (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Greg Auman)
Washington Redskins
- CB Dexter McDougle (Twitter link via Yahoo.com’s Jordan Schultz)
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/18/18
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Chris Jones, CB Deatrick Nichols
- Waived: CB Dontae Johnson, CB Quinten Rollins
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Jeremy Langford
Buffalo Bills
- Signed off 49ers’ practice squad: WR Victor Bolden
- Placed on IR: RB Marcus Murphy
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Chris Worley
- Placed on IR: LB Malik Jefferson
Detroit Lions
- Promoted from practice squad: DT John Atkins
- Placed on IR: DL Da’Shawn Hand
Green Bay Packers
- Signed off Jaguars’ practice squad: WR Allen Lazard
Miami Dolphins
- Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: DT Kendrick Norton
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: CB Antonio Hamilton
New York Jets
- Signed off Patriots’ practice squad: T Eric Smith
Oakland Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Rico Gafford, DT Gabe Wright
- Waived: LB Emmanuel Lamur
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Tyvis Powell
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed off Jaguars’ practice squad: RB Bo Scarbrough
- Placed on IR: G Jordan Simmons
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Donnie Ernsberger, DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
- Placed on IR: TE Alan Cross, S Justin Evans
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DB Harlan Miller
- Placed on IR: CB Joshua Holsey
Raiders Playing 2019 In Oakland Still An Option
Last week’s lawsuit placed the Raiders in a strange situation as what was expected to be their penultimate Oakland season wraps up.
They are considering several cities to be their 2019 home, but Oakland may still be an option, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports. The lawsuit’s timing appears to be a key factor in this process.
The Raiders will face significant backlash from the NFL if they cannot arrive at a solution by Super Bowl LIII, La Canfora reports, with marketing, stadium availability dates and the compilation of the 2019 schedule representing key issues for the league regarding the Raiders. The team will also need NFL approval to leave Oakland for another city next season.
Mark Davis previously expressed little interest in sharing Levi’s Stadium with the 49ers, but JLC adds there is a “strong sense” at the league office the Bay Area will be the best option for the 2019 Raiders. Some NFL executives believe that would be the best solution — that, or the Raiders playing at AT&T Park in San Francisco, where Major League Baseball’s Giants play.
If the Raiders would be interested in playing at the 49ers’ Santa Clara, Calif., stadium, the 49ers would welcome them, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). Reiterating a possible option being San Diego, Rapoport adds Cal-Berkeley is another.
No lease agreement between the Raiders and the city of Oakland exists for 2019, and this lawsuit figures to make talks for one final lame-duck agreement difficult. Although, Davis said at last week’s owners meetings he has not ruled out one final Oakland season. This was initially the plan, prior to the lawsuit. But the team has been exploring alternatives to a 2019 Oakland season for months, JLC writes, adding that the Raiders were “stunned” by Oakland following through with its long-rumored suit.
One more home game remains on the Raiders’ schedule — a Christmas Eve Monday night clash with the Broncos — and it’s uncertain (again) if this finale will be the Raiders’ Oakland sendoff.