Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The Arizona Cardinals are 4-6 and have lost four of their last six games. However, they got a much-needed victory this past weekend against the Los Angeles Rams, who dropped to the bottom of the NFC West standings.
The San Francisco 49ers have won two straight and look to extend that streak on Monday night against the Cardinals. Arizona has had the Niners' number of late, though. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has lost three of his last four meetings with the Cardinals, so he isn't looking past them in Week 11.
The coach joined KNBR this morning and tried to explain why the 49ers have struggled in recent years against the Cardinals.
"The Cardinals, I always look at [them] as a real good team," Shanahan said on the
Murph & Mac show. "They've got a lot of talent. I think during the COVID year (2020), we split. They beat us in that opening game at home (2020). [When] we were living in Arizona, we got them in that game (2020) when it was there.
"Last year, it was [Trey Lance]'s first game. It was a tight game. I thought we held them good, and then I think we lost 17-10. And then the next game was one of our worst games. We just got down way behind. I thought we turned it over early. I haven't got to that game [in film review] yet."
The 49ers are at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, just south of Denver, to get acclimated to the high altitude. They will start their three-day practice schedule on Thursday and travel to Mexico City on Sunday for their international game against the Cardinals at Estadio Azteca.
The three losses over the last two years weren't just because of missed opportunities by the 49ers. Instead, Shanahan credits a talented Cardinals roster that seems to match up well against his squad.
"Those guys have got some players," Shanahan said. "Whether we've faced them with [quarterback]
Kyler [Murray], we've faced them with Colt [McCoy]—I thought last year we did better in the first game with Kyler, but not that that's a difference. They're two guys who are a threat. A little bit different offenses when they are in."
It's not just the quarterbacks that are worrisome. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has 396 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the four games since coming off his suspension. He can be a handful for opposing defenses.
"It's always a pain going against Hopkins," Shanahan continued. "He's as good of a receiver as there is. The talent they have on defense at the linebacker level. I was shocked to see [safety] Budda [Baker] playing. I heard he had a high-ankle sprain, which, to me, is usually a minimum of a month, and he didn't miss one game. To turn on the tape Monday morning after our game and to see him in there was a little surprising. He's a hell of a player.
"Those guys, I know their record's not there, but they're just two games away from being right there, just like us. We won these last two games, and now things are looking positive, and that can happen with those guys quick. So they're going to be right in the thick of this, and we've got to make sure we take care of this win this week."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
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
