Watch monster blocks by WR DeAndre Smelter

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus went through all 32 NFL teams and picked a reason for optimism for each heading into the 2023 season. For example, last season's five-win Denver Broncos got a new Super Bowl-winning head coach in Sean Payton. Kenny Pickett could be ready for a second-year leap with the Pittsburgh Steelers (Hopefully, not in Week 1, though). What's the reason for optimism for the San Francisco 49ers? Sikkema admits that picking just one reason is challenging, so he went with the team's elite roster. San Francisco has stockpiled talented playmakers at almost every level. "Yes, their quarterback situation is still up in the air," wrote Sikkema. "But

NFL Media personality Adam Rank recently published his "State of the 2023 San Francisco 49ers" feature for NFL.com, an annual look at the state of the franchise and projections for the upcoming season. Among those predictions are the team's most valuable player and breakout star. Christian McCaffrey is the most obvious choice for MVP, and he's the guy Rank selected. The star running back was traded in late October to the 49ers and still contributed 1,210 total yards and 10 total touchdowns with his new team, totaling an impressive 1,880 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. Rank can't wait to see what McCaffrey does for an encore

The NFL announced that two San Francisco 49ers exhibition games would be part of the 23 preseason games to air live on NFL Network in 2023. The first live broadcast will be the team's preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, August 13. The second live broadcast will be the 49ers' preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi's Stadium. That game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT on Friday, August 25. It's worth noting that both games are the second part of double-headers. That means non-Bay Area fans may miss the early portions of those games while awaiting the end of the earlier matchups. On August 13, it will be a 10:00 a.m. PT matchup between the

Anything short of topping his 78-catch, 1,015-receiving-yard, and eight-touchdown performance from last season might disappoint San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. All were career highs, and the fourth-year wideout expects more of himself in 2023. "I'm about to take off," Aiyuk declared last week. "That's it. ... We all know it's football. Nothing's ever guaranteed, but just getting a better understanding for my life as a person, and then as a football player, kind of putting those things together and then just looking to get better." If Aiyuk does "take off" during the upcoming season, it creates an interesting predicament for the organization. When