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San Francisco 49ers running back
Christian McCaffrey recently shared something his teammate, pass rusher
Nick Bosa, shared with him this past season. The NFL Defensive Player of the Year praised one of his offensive teammates, explaining how the one player made him a better pass rusher.
"Bosa, everyone knows Bosa, and the year that he's had," McCaffrey said on the
Bussin' with the Boys podcast. "We were on the bus one time, and he's like, '
I've got the hardest job in America.'"
McCaffrey was confused. Here was one of the best defensive players in the NFL, the man who often makes things look easy and makes opposing offensive linemen trying to block him look silly. Was this talented pass rusher trying to tell the running back how tough his job is?
"I'm like, 'What?'" McCaffrey said. "He's like, 'I've got to go against [tackle] Trent [Williams] every day.' The Defensive Player of the Year saying, 'I've got the hardest job in America going against Trent every day.'"
That is a telling statement. A player who racked up a league-leading 18.5 sacks this past season was telling McCaffrey that his biggest challenge is facing
Trent Williams in each practice.
The 25-year-old Bosa respects Williams, a 34-year-old who has been in the league since Bosa was 12.
When Bosa arrived with the 49ers, he had to go against another tremendous left tackle in Joe Staley. Then, when Staley retired, San Francisco traded for Williams. So things didn't get any easier for the young pass rusher. Bosa sees that as a positive, though.
"I think when I look back at my career five years from now, I'm going to be like, '
Wow, I really got lucky with that.'" Bosa shared this week with his former teammate, Richard Sherman, on the
Richard Sherman Podcast. "Not only lucky that he's not on the other team, but that I get to go against him.
"And Trent is one of my favorite dudes on the team. We get along really well, and he's just so competitive and always looking to get better. I think people wouldn't think that if somebody's 34, however old he is, they probably think he just rolls in there, doesn't train, just does his thing.
"But he's looking … he's looking at me sometimes like, 'What is this young kid doing? I need to make sure I'm ready to roll,' which he always is. But he's always looking for that extra edge.
"And I get down on myself throughout camp and the conversations we have, but when you really look at it like, when you're going against somebody like that, it's worth all the stress that it brings because I want to be the best player on the team too, and it's kind of hard when he's on the team."
One former San Francisco 49ers player is making his opinion of Super Bowl 58 very clear. He believes his former team was dealt a bad hand in the matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas two months ago.
Former 49ers safety Donte Whitner, appearing this week on the "Up & Adam" show with Kay Adams, was vocal regarding the matchup and how certain circumstances seemed to favor the Chiefs.
"And when we think about the Super Bowl as well, I think that the 49ers played against the refs as well, guys," Whitner told Adams. "I think that when we look at that film and you see bear hugs on those defensive ends, right? And you really see it in blatant moments in the game."
Adams couldn't help but laugh at Whitner's comments, and the former player
ESPN analyst Matt Miller watches the San Francisco 49ers differently than other teams. As a 49ers fan, he feels more invested in the team's successes and failures than most analysts.
With the draft nearing, Miller made it clear which direction he believes head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch should take with their first pick. In his ESPN mock draft, a seven-round doozy, the analyst had the 49ers selecting former Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan.
Miller recently joined the 49ers Webzone "No Huddle" podcast, sharing why he adamantly hopes the team addresses the offensive line at the end of the month.
"So I
It's evident that the San Francisco 49ers engaged in long-term financial planning. Much discussion has centered around the feasibility of the team committing significant financial resources to two wide receivers, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Some skeptics question the wisdom of such heavy investment in a single position, especially considering that the 49ers handed Samuel a substantial three-year extension merely two years ago.
Adding complexity to this debate is the impending contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy, positioning him to become the highest-paid player on the team. He will likely even become one of the NFL's highest-paid players. Where he ranks in average salary will depend upon whether he can replicate the stellar performance of his Pro Bowl 2023
Analyst Steve Palazzolo unveiled a first-round mock draft for Pro Football Focus, attempting to forecast the selections for each NFL team within the top 32 picks. While the San Francisco 49ers concentrated on strengthening the defensive line in free agency, Palazzolo envisions the team continuing to fortify that side of the ball.
In his mock draft, Palazzolo predicts that the 49ers will select former Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa with the No. 31 overall pick.
"Tampa's unique fluidity and size for a cornerback make him worthy of a top-75 pick," reads the analysis from Pro Football Focus' big board. "If he can clean up his footwork, he can
