Latest news with #NickWagoner
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
49ers veterans share appreciation for final stages of offseason program
The San Francisco 49ers have a lot to prove in 2025, as they look to crawl out of the basement of the NFC West (after finishing with a 6-11 record last year) and make it back to the postseason. San Francisco will close out their offseason program this week with two mandatory minicamp sessions on Tuesday (June 10) and Wednesday (June 11), and every one not recovering from an injury is expected to participate at this time. This time of the year is all about laying the ground work and building relationships with your teammates, and that's exactly what quarterback Brock Purdy told ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "It's just so important that we're just around each other a lot doing little different activities and continuing to build chemistry," Purdy said. "That's the kind of stuff that matters when you get late in the season and things get tough and you go through some tough things as a team; you want to be able to know the guy next to you and what he's about and that he's going to have your back." The 49ers roster has changed quite a bit this offseason, with key players like Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward, Deebo Samuel, Aaron Banks and Leonard Floyd all playing for new teams in 2025, and others, including Bryce Huff, Demarcus Robinson, Jason Pinnock, Tre Brown and Thomas Morstead joining San Francisco. Those changes from one year to the next make this part of the calendar so important. "It's a very different looking team this year, so I think that was important, and it's just been cool to be out here during a time where I can kind of relax and have some fun on the weekends and hang out with the guys a little bit," defensive end Nick Bosa said. Tight end George Kittle, who is about as intense on the field as anyone in the NFL, also knows that there's value in the work that's being done during these days and weeks. "When all your best players are here, kind of setting the tone, setting an example specifically because we have so many new guys, whether it's free agents, whether it's young guys, rookies, we're trying to get them in that same mindset that we have established," Kittle said. "And it's something that we have to reestablish every single year. The vibes are high. I would say they're immaculate and guys are practicing well, guys are competing." This is just the beginning of a long road that the 49ers are hoping ends in a third trip to the Super Bowl in the last seven seasons. Everything that's learned during the offseason program stacks on top of each other, taking concepts on the field (and relationships off of it) to the next level. While minicamp may inconsequential at the end of the year, to those who live it, it's anything but. More 49ers: NFL analyst picks 49ers to accomplish improbable achievement this year
NBC Sports
27-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
49ers S Malik Mustapha suffered torn ACL in regular-season finale
The 49ers have an injury issue that previously wasn't known. Nick Wagoner of reports safety Malik Mustapha underwent an ACL repair following the 2024 season. He suffered the injury in Week 18, against the Cardinals. He took a cleat to the knee during the game. Initially, it was believed that he was fine. An MRI conducted later in the week revealed that the graft from a 2022 ACL repair had torn. Via Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, the 49ers confirmed the Mustapha injury and surgery on Saturday night. The injury means that rookie fifth-rounder Marques Sigle could be playing right away. Mustapha isn't expected to be ready to go until the middle of the season. Mustapha was a fourth-round pick of the 49ers in 2024. He appeared in 16 games with 12 starts as a rookie. The 49ers added safeties Richie Grant and Jason Pinnock in free agency. They lost Talanoa Hufanga to the Broncos after his rookie contract expired. Ji'Ayir Brown and George Odum also are on the roster.
USA Today
27-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
49ers starting safety expected to miss start of the season because of ACL injury
49ers starting safety expected to miss start of the season because of ACL injury The San Francisco 49ers may be without one of their starting safeties to begin the regular season. According to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, safety Malik Mustapha sustained an ACL injury in the 49ers' season-ending loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He's expected to miss the start of the season with a projected midseason return. Wagoner reported a graft from a prior ACL injury was damaged and needed a repair. Via ESPN: Although Mustapha departed the Arizona game with a knee injury and did not return, he was thought to be OK and in the locker room with the team the day after the game. Later that week, an MRI revealed that the graft that had been placed in the knee was torn. Mustapha had surgery to repair the knee after the issue was discovered. San Francisco added a few safety options in the offseason. Former Atlanta Falcons safety Richie Grant signed in the free agency. Former New York Giants defensive back Jason Pinnock is capable of playing that spot as well. The 49ers also selected Kansas State safety Marques Sigle in the fifth round of the NFL draft. Mustapha, a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft, put together a strong rookie season after he was thrust into a starting role because of an injury to Talanoa Hufanga. He started 12 of the 16 games he played and posted an interception and five pass breakups. Mustapha also racked up 72 tackles and two tackles for loss.
USA Today
14-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
One major, under-the-radar need 49ers must take care of this offseason
The San Francisco 49ers face a number of questions this offseason. There's key free agents that San Francisco needs to make decisions on retaining or letting walk. The 49ers are also looking to ink a long-term deal with quarterback Brock Purdy to make him the franchise signal-caller of the future. Meanwhile, one of San Francisco's key cogs over its success of late, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, has reportedly requested a trade. All of those topics will take center stage during the 49ers' offseason. ESPN shared its thoughts on an under-the-radar offseason priority. ESPN's Nick Wagoner tapped improving special teams as the 49ers' top under-the-radar offseason objective. Improve on special teams. Under coach Kyle Shanahan, the Niners haven't cared much about the third phase, but that has come back to bite them in some big moments (see: Super Bowl LVIII) and was particularly costly during the 2024 season when they finished last in the NFL in expected points added via special teams. The 49ers fired coordinator Brian Schneider and they could take a closer inspection at kicker. – Nick Wagoner, ESPN. Shanahan and the 49ers moving on from Brian Schneider could be an indication that the franchise is ready to take special teams more seriously. As Wagoner noted, San Francisco's -1.3 expected points per game on special teams ranked dead last in the NFL. The 49ers are turning to former New York Jets special teams coordinator, Brant Boyer. Boyer, 53, served as the Jets' special teams coordinator from 2016-24. During that stint in New York, Boyer's Jets specialisits ranked tied-for-second in total touchdowns (nine), second in blocked punts (eight) and tied-for-fifth in special teams points scored (63) and opponent kickoff return average (21.8). Prior to joining the Jets in 2016, Boyer was an assistant special teams coach for four years with the Indianapolis Colts from 2012-15. Boyer entered the NFL in 1994 as a sixth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins. He played for 10 seasons with the Dolphins, Jaguars and Browns. In 130 games he racked up 323 tackles, 13.0 sacks and six interceptions. He interned for the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants before getting his first coaching job with the Colts. Boyer will be tasked with reorganizing a unit that became known for failing in several key moments in the game's third phase. A blocked punt in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings helped lead to an eventual 23-17 loss. Then, a fake punt for a first down and a big punt return played a part in the Los Angeles Rams' 27-24 Week 3 win over the 49ers. The change in leadership feels like a sorely needed move by the franchise. San Francisco will also need to either reevaluate or monitor its field goal kicking situation very closely beginning next season. Selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft, Michigan alum Jake Moody struggled mightily in 2024. Moody made just 24-of-34 field goal tries and only 10-of-20 on kicks longer than 40 yards.
