49ers Notebook: Jimmie Ward really, really likes to play football, Saleh (sort of) responds to Michigan lawmakers

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch was fairly blunt when talking about quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in January. "As for the quarterback position, Kyle (Shanahan) and I both have spoken, and spoken fairly directly as to the fact that we expect Jimmy to be our quarterback," Lynch told reporters during an end-of-season press conference. "That's consistently met with other stories, but that's not of concern to us." That hasn't stopped a significant amount of speculation surrounding the quarterback's future. The 49ers have been linked to nearly every quarterback trade rumor. They reportedly inquired about Matthew Stafford and Carson Wentz, but there is no

In a feature for ESPN, Football Outsiders suggested a non-Deshaun Watson bold move for each NFL team. Before continuing, it is important to note that they admit some of the suggestions are far-fetched but believe that each would improve the teams' chances of winning. The suggestion for the San Francisco 49ers is to trade for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. I'll pause for the collective groan from readers. This isn't really about the trade itself, though, but the reason behind the suggestion and why Cousins' name keeps coming up for the 49ers when the Vikings — nor Cousins — have given any indication

The San Francisco 49ers signed speedy former Browns and Chargers wide receiver Travis Benjamin to a one-year, $1.05 million contract last April. He was excited to be reunited with head coach Kyle Shanahan. San Francisco was so confident that Benjamin could contribute that it was willing to trade away its fastest wideout, Marquise Goodwin, during the draft. Just over a month later, tragedy hit Benjamin's family. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has been going strong for nearly a year now, had hit home. The receiver lost his 77-year-old grandmother to complications from the virus. That changed Benjamin's outlook. "I was ready for the season,"

CJ McCollum may end up disappointed. The NBA player had campaigned for the Cleveland Browns to pursue San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman. McCollum is a Browns fan, and Sherman seemed open to the idea. I appreciate you @CJMcCollum ! We will see how the process pans out in a month! But I hear you https://t.co/mudQL8W1Zp— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) February 5,