Kaepernick No. 17 in Reno’s top local sports figures of 2014-15

Nick Bosa was a monster in 2022. He'll probably be a monster again in 2023. The San Francisco 49ers pass rusher is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year after leading the NFL with 18.5 sacks and frustrating so many opposing quarterbacks. It's no surprise to see Bosa on Next Gen Stats' list of the top 10 disruptors of 2022. The defensive end comes in at No. 2 in the ranking, with only Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys ahead of him. After such an impressive campaign, why isn't Bosa listed in the top spot? "Well, it was a narrow miss," writer Nick Shook admits. "Bosa's totals are right up there with the top player on this

Brandon Aiyuk is a favorite to be the San Francisco 49ers' breakout player of 2023. Last season, the wide receiver surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career, hauling in eight receiving touchdowns along the way. Teammates, fans, and the media aren't the only ones predicting a big year for the fourth-year wideout. "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. "I feel like, now, having another

As the sun rose over the horizon, fans of the San Francisco 49ers came from all over, with great anticipation, as General Manager, John Lynch, slowly trudged his way upon the hill, disappearing into the fog for just a moment, and reappearing with Kyle Shanahan, to proclaim Brock Purdy the heir to the 49ers' QB throne. (Cue the "Circle of Life" track!) Alright, so it wasn't exactly like that. But the 49ers' brass has made it a point this offseason to ensure everyone knows Purdy is the team's starting quarterback, once he's healthy. And while it may have lacked the drama of a scene from The Lion King, the declaration was just as impactful. (You know, if we could have had Lynch look out over the kingdom, and then hold young Purdy up in front of the team's cheering

You've heard stories about San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan installing a play and breaking down exactly how he expects the defense to react. Then, when the players execute the play, everything occurs as the coach explained, as if he had a crystal ball to predict the outcome. Shanahan is a confident play-caller, emphasizing execution by his players to ensure everything goes as planned. The 49ers acquired a big-time playmaker last season, trading for star running back Christian McCaffrey, who had already established himself as one of the most versatile players in the league. Even McCaffrey marvels at the things his play-caller comes up