Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Hardy Nickerson expected to leave 49ers to become defensive coordinator at Illinois
San Francisco 49ers inside linebackers coach Hardy Nickerson will be leaving his new NFL post for the college ranks. Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel is reporting that Nickerson is expected to join his former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, Lovie Smith, at the University of Illinois.
Nickerson was not retained when the Buccaneers fired Smith and promoted offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter as their new head coach. Nickerson was just hired to the 49ers' staff in January, just five days after interviewing with the team. The hire was praised by fans as a solid addition to new head coach Chip Kelly's coaching staff.
As a player, Nickerson was a five-time Pro Bowl player after being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1987 NFL Draft out of Cal.
The 49ers would
still have outside linebackers coach Jason Tarver on staff if Nickerson were to depart to join his former boss.
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Podcast: 49ers with Grant Cohn: Are the 49ers the favorites in the NFC with Trey Lance?
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Mar 24
Rohan Chakravarthi and Grant Cohn discuss whether the 49ers are favorites in the NFC after free agency.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
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You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our
49ers considered trading Mike McGlinchey last year
Mike McGlinchey received a life-changing payday, signing a five-year, $87.5 million deal with the Denver Broncos. The offensive tackle has known for a while that he would not return to the San Francisco 49ers, the only NFL team he has played for and the one that made him the No. 9 overall pick in 2018.
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear to McGlinchey that he was likely playing his final months for the team. There was too much money invested in other spots, and the 49ers knew they couldn't compete with other interested teams.
Behind the scenes, Lynch and Shanahan kept McGlinchey in the loop of what the team was thinking, and everything pointed to the tackle playing elsewhere in 2023 … maybe even
Photo: Recovering 49ers QB Brock Purdy spotted by fan
Brock Purdy can begin throwing again sometime in June. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback is expected to be ready to hit the field—practice or in-game—sometime in September.
Purdy is recovering from surgery to repair the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, an injury sustained in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He hasn't been seen since the surgery, with his last public appearance taking place In Arizona, during the week leading to the Super Bowl.
One fan spotted Purdy, though, getting a photo with the 49ers quarterback (h/t TheSFNiners). As expected, Purdy is wearing a massive brace on his throwing arm,
49ers signing OT Matt Pryor, per John Lynch
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch sat down with reporters at the owners' meetings in Arizona on Monday morning. One of the tidbits he offered is that the team has signed offensive tackle Matt Pryor.
The #49ers signed OT Matt Pryor, general manager, John Lynch said. Prior has appeared in 60 games with 24 starts over four seasons with Philadelphia and Indianapolis.— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) March 27,
