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The San Francisco 49ers aren't letting early success go to their heads. The team might be 2-0, but it is business as usual as it prepares for Sunday's matchup against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers are 0-2, without their starting quarterback, and traveling across the country for this weekend's game. The 49ers are always confident but are guarding against overconfidence after a fast start.
"I think we have the right locker room to do that, the right coaching staff," quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said before Wednesday's practice. "I mean, they preach it to us every day. Just have that mindset.
"I think we have a good group of guys. Guys who come in — you can tell the intensity is just as high today as it was the first week. That's the way you've got to have it throughout the year."
The successful start to the season is new to this 49ers squad. The team lost nine straight before earning its first victory in 2017. Last year, San Francisco lost seven of its first eight before earning its second win of the year.
"I think we've seen the worst of the worst, so it's just one of those things that keeps pushing us," Garoppolo added.
The majority of these players haven't been in this situation before. Fans always hoped for wins on Sundays, but now they are starting to expect them. The 49ers are focused on the Steelers, though, and aren't looking too far down the road at potential playoff appearances or anything else.
"I think our team is smart enough and knows the deal," head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "There's not one person in our building, at least that I've noticed, that feels like we've arrived by any means."
Shanahan understands that the 49ers could easily be 1-1 right now. If you get too overconfident in the NFL, the game has a way of very quickly humbling you.
"We feel good being 2-0, but you go into the bye week 2-1, and that's all taken away," Shanahan continued. "It's very important for us to go into this bye week 3-0, and you can't just wake up on Sunday and decide to do that. You better be as humble as can be and our backs are against the wall, the way I look at it.
"We've got to come out just as hungry as Pittsburgh's going to be because I know their backs are against the wall. I know their coaching staff, I know a lot of their players, and I know it's going to be an extremely hard, physical game on Sunday."
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is back in the NFC West after a one-year stint with the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL Media reports that the Los Angeles Rams are signing the veteran passer to a one-year deal.
Sources to me and @PSchrags: The #Rams have agreed to terms with QB Jimmy Garoppolo on a one-year deal. Following a year with the
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the San Francisco 49ers and fullback Kyle Juszczyk have reached an agreement on a restructured contract that will create about $1.75 million in salary cap savings for the team.
49ers and Pro-Bowl FB Kyle Juszczyk reached agreement on a restructured contract that will free up about $1.75 million against San Francisco's salary cap. pic.twitter.com/oYst7KW4zl— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13,
The San Francisco 49ers restructured fullback Kyle Juszczyk's contract this week, generating approximately $4 million in salary cap space for 2024 and roughly $1.1 million for 2025. They accomplished this by converting salary into a signing bonus and extending the cap implications through three void years.
Effectively, Juszczyk now has a two-year, $9.1 million deal, keeping him under contract through 2025, with the salary cap impact stretching until 2026.
#49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk's new contract reduced his base pay in
Just hours after news broke that the San Francisco 49ers plan to release defensive tackle Arik Armstead as a salary-cap savings move, Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network revealed that the team has initiated discussions with long-serving fullback Kyle Juszczyk regarding a potential salary reduction.
"The San Francisco 49ers have approached fullback Kyle Juszczyk, an eight-time Pro Bowl (2016-2023) selection and first-team All-Pro last season, for a salary reduction for the 2024 season, a league source said," Caplan wrote. "Both sides have not reached an agreement on this issue, so his