The 49ers got a first look at Kaelon Black in Week 1, and the rookie running back wasted no time making himself noticeable.
Black logged 15 touches for 70 yards in his debut, and he was on the field far more than many expected. He finished with 28 snaps, just eight fewer than Christian McCaffrey, and he even handled more carries than the veteran star. The message from San Francisco was clear: the team likes what it sees.
“He runs hard,” 49ers RT Colton McKivitz said via NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco, “and I have the bruises on my back to prove it.”
McKivitz drew a comparison to former 49ers back Jordan Mason, while also noting what stands out about Black’s style.
“When you got a young back who’s ready to run hard and doesn’t question himself, that’s what we look for in this offense,” McKivitz said. “When he sees a hole, he hits it.
“He reminds me a little of JP (Jordan Mason) but with a little more juice. It’s nice to have a guy like that.
He’ll learn some things. Hopefully, he’ll open his eyes and not run into me.
But it’s exciting to have a guy like that.”
In Arizona, Josh Sweat’s offseason became a topic of constant speculation, but the Cardinals edge rusher says he never let the outside noise pull him off course. Sweat missed most of the spring, then spent most of camp on the PUP list while dealing with an injury he and the team kept deliberately vague. He said he had an offseason procedure and that it wasn’t on his knee, and that’s as much as anyone got.
By the time Week 1 arrived, Sweat was in uniform for the Cardinals, and after a win over the Chargers he made it clear where he stands now.
“I’m where I want to be.”
“There was a lot of noise in the offseason, but I didn’t respond purposely,” Sweat said via Darren Urban of the team website. “I just wanted to see how far people’s imagination could take it.”
There was plenty of chatter about a possible trade to the Packers, especially late in training camp. That talk picked up because Sweat came off the PUP list in time for joint practices in Green Bay and because of his history with Packers DC Jonathan Gannon. Sweat said Gannon mattered in his decision, but he also pointed to the fit with the rest of the roster and the team’s direction.
“People think I only came here for one reason and that was Jonathan Gannon, and yeah, that made the decision easier for me, but I know the guys that were here,” Sweat said. “I love the way they play.
I love that we want to make something bigger happen here. It’s too good of a place to be where it was last year.”
Out in Los Angeles, Rams coach Sean McVay said there is no timeline yet for DE Myles Garrett after arthroscopic knee surgery on Monday. McVay said the team knew about the issue and believed Garrett could play through it.
“We had been aware of this. Thought this was something he’d be able to work through.”
McVay also offered updates on a couple of other Rams defenders. Safety Kamren Curl is fine after dealing with ankle soreness, and linebacker Nathan Landman is expected to play in Week 2 despite shoulder and thumb injuries.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Rams understood Garrett was dealing with a knee injury, but they believed he could manage it and still perform at a high level. After the Week 1 loss to the 49ers, that changed, and the team moved toward surgery in hopes of getting him back to 100 percent when he returns.
Garrett had the procedure Monday, and Rapoport said the Rams are optimistic he will miss only the four games after going on injured reserve, though he still has to work through rehab.
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For a Rams defense still trying to sharpen its run-stopping approach after a rough Week 1 showing, that makes the assignment feel especially familiar. The matchup will be less about what Walker did in Denver and more about whether Los Angeles can keep a strong rushing attack from exposing the same issues it has spent the season working to clean up. [Read more 🡒]