Nick Bosa still hasn’t made it back from the calf strain that had him eyeing a Week 6 return, and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said the edge rusher pushed the timeline a little too far.
Shanahan said Bosa was sore after working out, and that the setback showed up before Week 7.
”I just think he was a little too optimistic, especially for Bosa because he’s pretty accurate,” Shanahan said, via NinersWire.com. “He doesn’t say stuff like that unless it’s accurate.
I just think it surprised him. He worked out, after he said that to you guys, and the next day he was just a little sore, which surprised all of us.
That wasn’t a great sign, especially going to play on turf and stuff this week, so I think it was more he was just a little too optimistic.”
In Arizona, Mike LaFleur is standing by Jacoby Brissett despite the recent offensive frustrations. The Cardinals coach made it clear Brissett remains the starter and said the issues go beyond one player.
“Like I told you guys, he’s still the starter,” LaFleur said, via Cardinals Wire.
“It’s collective. Again, if the ball was just stagnant for 60 minutes and you couldn’t even cross the 50-yard line, it’d be one thing.
We’ve been down inside the 10-yard line 10 times over the last two games, so the ball is moving, but we have to finish jobs. Again, that starts with me, but that’s a collective effort.
The players have to go execute and I have to put them in better positions and give them the clarity to do so.”
Over in Los Angeles, Matthew Stafford looked back on a career milestone that put him in rare company as a record-setting quarterback for two different franchises. He kept the focus on the people around him, not the numbers attached to his name.
“ Just super appreciative of all the guys that have helped me do that, ” Stafford said, via PFT. “ Catching touchdowns and throwing touchdowns isn’t a one-man job, it takes a lot of people to block and get open, and coaches to draw plays.
A cool thing, didn’t really know that was going to happen today, but fired up. It just means you’re old and you’ve played a lot of ball,” Stafford later added.
“You wore yourself thin enough at a certain place where they moved on. No, but it’s a cool thing, and I touched on it a bit earlier.
My name’s in there, but so many coaches, players, teammates just had so much to do with that, and I appreciate all those guys. It’s been a heck of a ride, enjoy doing what I do, still love it, and look forward to doing some more.”
In Other News...
Cardinals QB Debate Just Got Harder To Ignore
Mike LaFleur made it clear the Cardinals are sticking with Jacoby Brissett for now, confirming the veteran will start against the Cowboys as Arizona tries to steady an offense that has been moving the ball without finishing enough drives. LaFleur said the issue is less about getting into scoring position and more about what happens once the Cardinals get there, a distinction that has become harder to ignore as the season has worn on.
The pressure around the quarterback spot has only grown with fan noise pushing rookie Carson Beck into the conversation, but LaFleur said there have been no talks about benching Brissett. For now, Arizona is choosing continuity over change, even as the red-zone frustration lingers and the offense keeps leaving points on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Carson Beck Timeline Just Became A Real Cardinals Debate
The rookie quarterback class has been slow to arrive in the NFL, but Carson Becks path is starting to look a lot more relevant for Arizona as the season moves deeper into the second half. Through Week 7, most of the quarterbacks taken in the draft still have not started a game, and that kind of delay tends to sharpen the focus on teams like the Cardinals, where every week without a clear answer under center makes the next move feel more important.
Arizona sits 2-5, and the longer the offense stays in limbo, the more Beck becomes part of the conversation around the franchises future. Jacoby Brissett has helped stabilize the position enough to keep the Cardinals afloat, but there is still no long-term answer in place, which is why the timeline on Beck is now being watched so closely around the building. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Sweat Trade Buzz Puts Cardinals In A Familiar Deadline Spot
With the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaching, Arizona looks like one of the more plausible sellers if it decides to move on from a few veteran pieces, and Josh Sweat has quickly become the name drawing the most attention. The edge rusher is only in the second year of a four-year contract, but his status has been in flux since he asked for a trade after Jonathan Gannon was fired, and the Cardinals held onto him at the time while managing his injury situation.
Now the buzz around Sweat has only grown, with teams around the league monitoring whether Arizona will finally make a move. A deal would fit a familiar deadline pattern for a team still sorting out its direction, but the real question is whether the Cardinals believe the return matches the value of keeping a proven pass rusher in-house during a season that has not gone the way they wanted. [Read more 🡒]