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Injuries have plagued the San Francisco 49ers defense in recent weeks. The team hasn't had much rest since its early Week 4 bye, and some believe that may have contributed to the spike in injuries down the stretch.
Whatever the reason, the 49ers aren't making any excuses. They do, after all, own an NFC-leading 11-2 record.
The NFL is a next-man-up league, and the 49ers are no different. They own one of the NFL's best defenses despite dealing with the losses of several key contributors.
Linebacker Kwon Alexander and defensive linemen Ronald Blair and Damontre Moore are among the 49ers players whose season ended early and sit on injured reserve. Defensive tackle D.J. Jones, who is dealing with an ankle sprain suffered during Sunday's win over the New Orleans Saints, could be next.
The defense will be without cornerback Richard Sherman and defensive end Dee Ford for at least a couple of weeks. Defensive end Jullian Taylor (elbow) is out for at least one more game. Safety Jaquiski Tartt is trying to work his way back from a rib injury while cornerback K'Waun Williams is in the concussion protocol and has not practiced this week.
That's quite a list.
Yes, the 49ers defense is banged up. Still, these are no excuses for a unit that prides itself on disciplined play and ferociousness.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was asked on Thursday when the defense might need to change how it approaches a game due to all of the injuries that have plagued the unit in recent weeks.
"Talk to guys like (Dre) Greenlaw, who stepped in for Alexander, or talk to Marcell (Harris), who's stepping in for Tartt," Saleh responded. "They're starters in this league, and that's the way they have to approach it. And so the expectation is that there should be no drop-off. We've got to coach them accordingly.
"There's going to be a little rust that, with Marcell — you saw in the first quarter — a little bit of rust as a starter, to come back in there, and there's an adjustment. If you guys remember, last year, when he stepped in, he just progressed as the year went on. So the expectation for him, and all those guys is that you keep working your tail off to get better every single day, so there is no drop-off.
"That's the mindset, and like we already said, the NFL doesn't care about who's playing. The train's going to keep on moving."
Cornerback Richard Sherman agrees with his defensive coordinator.
"If we've got 11 out there, I expect us to uphold that standard," Sherman told reporters. "I think we have a tremendous amount of depth. I think we trust the guys. I trust Ahkello (Witherspoon). I trust [Emmanuel Moseley]. I just D.J. Reed. Obviously, (I trust) [Marcell Harris] and Jimmie (Ward). I think we can weather any storm with the guys that we have.
"And obviously in the front, we have monsters, and we've got more guys that are going to step up and get more opportunities than they have, and we trust those guys. Sheldon Day will get more opportunities, Solomon (Thomas). We trust those guys to go out there and play at a high level."
Brock Purdy is poised to become the highest-paid player for the San Francisco 49ers next year. That's when the team can begin contract extension negotiations. There's ongoing speculation about where Purdy's impending mega-deal will land compared to the contracts of other elite quarterbacks. While some anticipate he could command the highest salary in the league, especially if he replicates his stellar 2023 performance, others suggest he deserves to be handsomely paid, but without necessarily topping the market.
Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum, currently an ESPN analyst, offered his viewpoint on "NFL Live," outlining why he thinks it's advantageous for both Purdy and the 49ers if the quarterback doesn't demand the highest salary in the league.
"Well,
One thing is clear: Ian Rapoport expects Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel to be on the San Francisco 49ers roster when the team takes the field in Week 1 of the 2024 season. At this point, most probably feel that way. The fact that both stayed with the team throughout the draft clearly signals that general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan intend to retain their two talented receivers—at least for one more season.
"Week 1 of 2024, it looks like they both will be [on the roster]," Rapoport told guest host Tom Pelissero on "The Rich Eisen Show."
However, nothing in the NFL is ever certain.
"Now, look, crazy things can happen," Rapoport continued. "Someone loses a star receiver, they decide to give the 49ers something of value for this
(Episode 335) — Brian Renick and Al Sacco do a pick-by-pick breakdown of every 49ers draft selection, what each prospect brings to the table, what their role will be this upcoming season, the themes of the 49ers draft class, which UDFAs could contribute, concerns with who they didn't draft and more.
The audio for the show is embedded above. Remember to subscribe!
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The San Francisco 49ers have a new draft class. Some liked what the team did. Some did not. But that's to be expected.
The 49ers draft class, along with undrafted rookie free agents will be preparing to go to rookie minicamp soon. They also have a handful of others they have invited to the minicamp as a tryout. So we hope to get plenty of news about the new rookies in the coming weeks.
For now, we've opened another edition of the 49ers Webzone Mailbag. Let's jump in and take a look around.
What are your thoughts on getting "your guy" versus "draft value"? The internet has been reacting accordingly over Pearsall's perceived draft value. - Justin
I think getting the player you want is more important than draft value. Especially when
