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Jimmy Garoppolo hasn't taken a snap since September 23, but that doesn't mean he isn't still contributing to the San Francisco 49ers. His rehab schedule permitting, the former starting quarterback is in team meetings, observing practices, on the sidelines during games, and dishing out advice to his teammates.
One of the younger players benefiting from that advice is current starting quarterback Nick Mullens, who
joined 95.7 The Game on Thursday night. He has started the past six games for the 49ers, won three, and has been playing solid football along the way.
"Jimmy's a great teammate," Mullens told Damon Bruce. "He always has been. He's always just giving me little hints of advice during the week and during the game."
Mullens went 20-of-29 for 275 yards with a touchdown and a passer rating of 110.6 in the 49ers' 26-23 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks. The victory snapped a 10-game losing streak that dated back to 2013.
"Against Seattle, actually, we were getting a lot of man coverage on third downs," Mullens continued, "and it's important that you hold the safety with your eyes on third downs. I ran off the field, and that was one thing that he said is, 'Hey, we know we like our matchups. Make sure you're controlling the safety.'
"So it's just little pieces of advice like that, that help me along the way, and I'm very appreciative of that."
Mullens, whom the 49ers signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017, has passed for 1,754 yards with 10 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a passer rating of 96.0 through his six starts. When offseason activities kick off, he will battle last year's third-round draft pick, C.J. Beathard, for the backup quarterback job.
Although, a small minority might argue that, after his impressive play, maybe his battle should be with Garoppolo and not Beathard. Bruce asked Mullens if he ever looks over at Garoppolo on the sidelines and thinks, "That guy is my backup next year."
"Heck no," Mullens responded while laughing. "That's crazy."
Perhaps it is crazy, but the question alone shows how much respect Mullens has earned from the media and the fans while keeping the starting quarterback job warm for Garoppolo.
You can listen to the entire interview with Mullens below.
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, it's common for the rumor mill to start churning, especially with players who are actively seeking a new contract. It was just two short years ago that WR Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers prior to draft day, only for cooler heads to prevail and eventually agree to a new deal.
Now, it's WR Brandon Aiyuk's turn to try and get paid and rumors surfaced over the weekend that he too would request to be dealt. While that report was quickly shot down by his agent, there's still a lot of discussion about Aiyuk's future and if other teams will come calling on draft night.
Legendary columnist Mike Silver joined
