Player Notes

10-12 minutes 8/31/2023During the NFL’s league meetings in March, Ron Rivera claimed that, in his fourth offseason as head coach of the Commanders, the team was “roster building for the first time” because it had a quarterback it felt confident could develop into a centerpiece.The Commanders have pinned their future (for now) on Sam Howell, a 22-year-old fifth-round pick in last year’s draft who started ...

6-7 minutes 9/1/2023TAMPA — It appears Mike Evans will leave the Bucs much the same way he’s played for them: a bit undervalued but without much fuss.With talks about a contract extension at an impasse, the greatest offensive weapon in club history is playing what likely will be his final season in Tampa Bay.Evans is in the last season of a five-year, $82 million deal he signed in 2018.Having turned ...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Let’s credit Jimmy Garoppolo one last time for injecting a zap or two of kinetic energy to the peppy proceedings around 49ers HQ on Wednesday.This time, Garoppolo did it from afar, since, of course, he’s actually a member of the Raiders now, not the 49ers. But he still can rev up his old team when it’s needed.And it definitely felt like the 49ers’ leaders were a little droopy ...

Kyle Shanahan’s results should speak for themselves.With near-constant instability at the most important position, his teams have reached three NFC title games over the past four years.But here’s another way to think about it: That instability was caused in part by his own erratic decision-making. Shanahan the personnel boss has done Shanahan the coach no favors at quarterback, even as he’s built a ...

The 49ers have previously shown no reluctance in signing top players to record-setting contracts.Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Trent Williams all set the market at their positions when they signed new deals with San Francisco. All but one — I’ll let you guess — deserved it.The Niners didn’t hesitate on those deals because the front office wanted to build the reputation around the ...

Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young has progressed in his recovery from a stinger he suffered in the team’s first preseason game, but he has not yet been medically cleared for full contact.The Commanders are hopeful that Young will be ready for Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 10, but his status is uncertain.Stingers occur when the nerves in the neck and shoulder are stretched ...

If you like wild cards, you may love Isaiah Simmons.Consider Simmons, the hybrid linebacker/safety the Giants acquired last week in a no-lose trade with the Cardinals, a chess piece.Now think of Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale as Bobby Fischer, arguably the greatest chess player of all time.This Simmons thing, of course, may not work, considering how underwhelming his three years with ...

Odell Beckham Jr. appears to be a fan of Jalin Hyatt’s number change.Hyatt, the Giants’ rookie receiver, switched from No. 84 to No. 13 this week — the same number Beckham wore when he was with the Giants.“Rock out one three,” Beckham tweeted Wednesday night while tagging Hyatt.Presumably, when Hyatt makes his NFL debut for the Giants, it will be against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football on Sept. ...

The Vikings settled one of their lingering contract situations Thursday by agreeing to an extension with tight end T.J. Hockenson through 2027.Hockenson was scheduled to be a free agent after the season, and the Vikings had talked with his agent about an extension for much of training camp. His deal added four years to his contract with the Vikings, and is worth up to $68.5 million. The maximum value ...

The son of former Green Bay Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga has died.Julius Poppinga was a senior at Westlake High School in California and according to the Ventura County Star, citing sources, he suffered a severe asthma attack last week that led to a collapsed lung.He was 17.Poppinga was a member of the varsity football and lacrosse teams at the school in Thousand Oaks, California. The football ...