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You've probably seen more than enough predictions leading up to the 2020 season. Some are predicting the
Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC West over the San Francisco 49ers. Others are doubting whether or not the Niners will
even make the playoffs this season.
San Francisco has its share of doubters. It's not necessarily because anyone believes the 49ers aren't a good team. They are, after all, coming off a Super Bowl appearance and didn't experience a lot of the same turnover that many past Super Bowl teams have.
It's just that the road back to the big game is tough enough for the team that emerges as the champion the year before. It's even more difficult for the Super Bowl runner-up.
Tight end
George Kittle knows
Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals will give the 49ers their best shot on Sunday. The week after that, the New York Jets will do the same. Then the New York Giants, and so on. The 49ers are the defending NFC champions, and, therefore, will get everyone's best shot.
Still, the doubt is substantial when it comes to San Francisco's chances of returning to the Super Bowl.
Kittle spoke with reporters on Thursday and was asked what he thinks about the 49ers, once again, being a team that is flying under the radar.
"It is what it is," Kittle responded. "I mean, you can either have a target on your back, or you're chasing after other people. I don't know who we're really under the radar to other than like people that vote for us on ESPN. I don't know if they know everything.
"I know that, around the league, people know what we can do, especially on offense. And I don't know how you can take our defense not seriously because of our D-line and just what we do.
"I don't think anyone in the league is underestimating us, and so we have to play at a high level every single week. We're not going to get freebies. We know that, and if we don't play at a high level, then we're not going to win games."
Another factor might be that the 49ers play amongst one of the most competitive — if not
the most competitive — divisions in football. The Seahawks are always clawing their way into the postseason. The Los Angeles Rams had an off-year last season but would have been playing in January under the new playoff system. The Cardinals should be much-improved and were already giving the 49ers problems in 2019.
"We're going to get everybody's best shot, whether they're the Baltimore Ravens, the Saints, the Chiefs, or if it's a lower team," Kittle continued. "It doesn't really matter. We're going to get everyone's best shot, no matter what it is, and if we don't show up, we're not going to win. So, our goal is to show up every single Sunday and whoop up on some people."
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
Analyst Dane Brugler recently revealed his seven-round mock draft for The Athletic, forecasting all 257 selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to kick off next week.
"Piecing together a mock like this is time consuming, but I enjoy the exercise, because it allows me to focus on each team's needs, organizational trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on '30' visits, league buzz and overall interest," Brugler wrote.
Most expect the 49ers to address the trenches early in the draft, and Brugler has the team doing that. It's just not on the offensive side of the football. In fact, Brugler doesn't have San Francisco
