The 49ers may be getting a major piece back soon, and Mykel Williams sounds more than ready for it.
San Francisco expects the defensive end to return from a torn ACL in Week 5, ending a rookie season that was cut short after nine games. Williams said the wait has worn on him, and he’s eager to get back to work on a winning team.
“I’m going crazy. I’m losing my mind,” Williams said, via Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.
“I’m ready to go. I’m excited to play ball.
I miss playing ball. It’s been like damn near a year since I played, so I just want to get back on the field.”
In Arizona, the Cardinals are trying to stop a skid that has now reached three straight losses and dropped them to 1-3 after opening the season with a win over the Chargers. Jacoby Brissett doesn’t sound interested in treating the moment like an emergency, though. His view is that the team should live with urgency all the time, not just when the record starts to slip.
“I think the sense of urgency needs to be there no matter what the record is,” Brissett said, via Pro Football Talk. “Each week is a 1-0 league. I think the way the last three weeks have ended has definitely created another sense of urgency, but obviously not a sense of panic.”
“You can’t panic. The urgency can be there and it’s like how can we steady the ship without everybody trying to jump off the ship or pick up the ship and run? It’s just more so just doing the right things right every day and Sunday will take care of itself.”
Over in Seattle, the Seahawks’ reported move to sign veteran running back Joe Mixon to the practice squad never got across the finish line. After Mixon went through a physical, the team pivoted, and head coach Mike Macdonald kept the explanation short.
“Didn’t work out,” Macdonald said, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “Probably the most we should say about it with respect to the process. Those things happen and it’s a part of the process.”
In Other News...
Marvin Harrison Jr. Just Became A Real Cardinals Deadline Story
Marvin Harrison Jr. has only just started to settle into his place in Arizona, but his name is already surfacing in deadline chatter as the NFL moves closer to the next round of roster maneuvering. ESPNs Josh Weinfuss and Stephen Holder reported that the Indianapolis Colts are among the teams doing due diligence on the Cardinals wideout, a reminder that even a former No. 4 overall pick can become part of the leagues wider trade conversation before his rookie chapter has fully unfolded.
For Arizona, the important part is what is not happening right now. The Cardinals are not shopping Harrison, and he has said he is focused on helping the team win rather than tracking rumors around him. Still, the fact that another team would be willing to explore the idea if he somehow became available is enough to make this worth watching as the deadline picture sharpens around a player who has already appeared in four games this season. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Already Lost One Starter As Lions Injury Picture Shifts
The Cardinals have already had to adjust for their Week 5 matchup with the Lions, ruling out starting safety Andrew Wingard for Sundays game. Its a significant early-week hit for Arizona, especially with Detroit bringing plenty of physicality and motion stress into the matchup, but the rest of the injury report offered a few reasons for optimism as the week moved along.
Head coach Mike LaFleur said running back Jeremiyah Love and defensive lineman Walter Nolen III are trending in the right direction, while also noting that tight end Hunter Longs injury is not season-ending. Outside linebacker Jordan Burch is expected to be available, so Arizonas picture is a lot clearer than it could have been, even if the biggest uncertainty from the week still hangs over how much depth the Cardinals will have where they need it most. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Face One Clear Challenge In A Winnable Lions Test
The Cardinals enter this matchup with a real opening against Detroit, but the path to taking advantage of it starts up front. Arizona has been leaning on the passing game, with Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. giving the offense reliable ways to stress a defense, and this is the kind of opponent that can be attacked if the protection holds together. The Lions have not looked sturdy on that side of the ball, which is why this game has the feel of one Arizona should be able to keep within reach.
The issue for Arizona is whether the offensive line can survive long enough to let the rest of the plan work. Injuries have thinned the group to the point where the Cardinals are asking for new answers in a spot where continuity usually matters most, and that makes the matchup feel a little less comfortable than the records suggest. If the line can hold, the Cardinals have a chance to turn a winnable test into a useful early-season statement. [Read more 🡒]