NFC West

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. remains a free agent as he works his way back from a torn ACL suffered during last February's Super Bowl while with the Los Angeles Rams.

His eventual destination remains up in the air, but former teammate and Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey is confident that he'll head back to L.A.

“No, I ain’t got to check in,” Ramsey told reporters when asked if he had seen Beckham's recent tweets about the Rams' offers for him to return (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).

"I know what’s up. So we got a while anyway before Odell is back playing football, right? So he’s going to take care of himself, take care of his body, and when the time is right, I’m still confident that this will be home. But that’s up to him like at the end of the day. Selfishly, obviously I want him here. But I want what’s best for him, like as a friend of him. I want what’s best for him."

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Beckham is targeting a mid-November return to the field. The Athletic named the Rams, Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as potential fits, although it's unclear what (if any) team(s) lead the pack for his services.

At any rate, that team is getting a three-time Pro Bowler who excelled with the Rams after parting ways with the Cleveland Browns midseason.

He caught 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular-season games before adding 21 more receptions for 288 yards and two more scores in four playoff contests.

Beckham, who turns 30 in November, would be a welcome addition to a playoff-contending team in need of receiving help. Last time around, he helped guide the Rams to the Super Bowl. We'll see in a month's time if Beckham is a good-luck charm again, but for now, the ex-LSU star is working his way back to the field.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay believes the supporting cast around Matthew Stafford has to step up following the team's 22-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

"I love Matthew Stafford," McVay told reporters after the game. "He is competing and doing everything in his power for this team. He needs some help. We've got to be able to help him."

McVay didn't specifically call out his offensive line, but one can assume that was one of the targets of his comment.

Andrew Whitworth left a void on the left side when he retired following the 2021 season, and the Rams have been beset by injuries this year.

As a result, Stafford has been sacked an NFL-high 21 times, with five coming Sunday night. At this pace, the 2014 Pro Bowler will absorb 71 sacks, which would be the third-most in a season.

Aside from Cooper Kupp, the Rams' receiving corps hasn't exactly delivered, either. Most notably, Allen Robinson II has struggled, catching just 12 passes for 107 yards and one touchdown.

Stafford has absorbed a lot of punishment across his 14 years in the league as well. He might have missed just eight games from 2011 to 2021, but that didn't mean he was always healthy. Entering this season, he was dealing with elbow tendinitis, which raised questions over his general status.

Even if the Rams get improved offensive line play, it might not matter that much if Stafford's elbow continues to bother him.

To some degree, Los Angeles' performance this year is a consequence of its team-building approach. Focusing on star power and veterans at the expense of depth resulted in a Super Bowl triumph in 2021, but the bill comes due sooner or later.

In the offseason, talk of a possible dynasty in Southern California was a bit premature. At the very least, the Rams appeared to be in a good position to defend their NFL crown. Instead, simply making the playoffs might be a challenge for the 2-3 squad.

San Francisco 49ers star edge-rusher Nick Bosa is out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers with a groin injury, per ESPN's Bill Barnwell.

Bosa has been no stranger to injuries in his short NFL career. After a fantastic rookie season in 2019 that saw him post nine sacks, 16 tackles for loss, 25 quarterback hits and win the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award, he played in just two games in 2020 after a torn ACL ended his campaign.

The 24-year-old responded in 2021 with 15.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, 32 quarterback hits and four forced fumbles in 17 games to earn his second Pro Bowl bid.

But a concussion ended his day against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round, a 23-17 Niners win. He was able to return in time for the 13-10 divisional-round victory over the Green Bay Packers, in which he posted two sacks.

When Bosa has been on the field in his career, he's been elite and has turned an already good 49ers' front into a downright dominant unit—one that made Dak Prescott and Aaron Rodgers look mediocre in last year's playoffs.

That makes any absence from the star edge-rusher particularly tough to overcome for a Niners team with Super Bowl aspirations.

While Bosa is out, look for Charles Omenihu and Drake Jackson to see more snaps off the edge.

The Los Angeles Rams are preparing for a significant crowd of Dallas Cowboys fans to attend Sunday's game at SoFi Stadium, and preparing for that crowd means being ready for the noise that comes along with it.

Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters Friday that the team is practicing silent counts in anticipation of issues that come along with increased crowd noise, per ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith.

The team has also been playing loud music during practices to simulate a rowdy crowd and help the offensive players prepare, per Smith.

The Rams are no stranger to issues with crowd noise.

During the NFC Championship game last season, the team had to deal with significant crowd noise from San Francisco 49ers fans, who were easily able to make the trip to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The Rams also had to deal with some extra noise from Cincinnati Bengals fans during last season's Super Bowl.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was apparently close to being on the other sideline for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers.

He told reporters the NFC South team was "at the top of the list, one of the top couple" clubs in pursuit of him via trade this offseason.

There was a time this offseason when it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the veteran quarterback would be traded. After all, the 49ers traded up to select Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft and were ready to hand the offense to the younger option.

Carolina was connected to Garoppolo during the offseason but ultimately decided to trade for Baker Mayfield instead.

Perhaps it would want a do-over at this point considering it is off to a 1-3 start with Mayfield largely struggling while completing 54.7 percent of his passes for 747 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.

San Francisco never traded Garoppolo, and his shoulder surgery may have weakened the market in trade discussions.

That is a fortuitous break for the 49ers at this point because Lance was lost for the season to injury. Having Garoppolo means the team still had a veteran option who led it to the NFC Championship Game last season and the Super Bowl during the 2019 campaign.

It has been an up-and-down start for Garoppolo and the 2-2 49ers, as he stepped out of the back of the end zone for a safety and threw a late pick during an ugly loss to the Denver Broncos and managed the game while effectively getting the ball into Deebo Samuel's hands during the most recent win over the Los Angeles Rams.

He could have been managing games for Carolina had a trade happened, but he is instead looking to lead San Francisco to the postseason once again.

An animal rights activist who rushed the Levi's Stadium field during a Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers game on Monday has filed a police report with the Santa Clara Police Department after he was taken down by Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner and defensive end Takkarist McKinley.

TMZ Sports reported the news on Wednesday.

The media outlet spoke with Direct Action Everywhere, which took responsibility for the on-field rush. A representative for the organization stated that the police report stems from what they call a "blatant assault" on the field.

Wagner has not been arrested or charged with a crime, and he stated that he took the activist down with safety reasons in mind.

"That's not making a play," Wagner said, per ESPN's Sarah Barshop.

"That's just keeping it safe. You don't know what that fan got or what they're doing. You see it all the time, and we don't know what they're carrying in their pockets. It's whatever that little smoke stuff is, but that s--t could be dangerous.

"One of the guys on the other side, it looked like he got hurt, and security looked like he was struggling, so I was frustrated, so I took it out on him."

The incident took place just before halftime of the 49ers' 24-9 home win. Per TMZ Sports, a second protestor also tried to take the field, but she was stopped by security before making it onto the gridiron.

Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey spoke out Saturday about the NFL fining players for uniform violations rather than focusing on more important issues such as player safety.

According to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, Ramsey spoke on the subject for 15 minutes and acknowledged the possibility he might get fined for his opinions. He also said it is hypocritical for the league to fine players for uniform violations while making money by featuring players' personalities and celebrations.

Ramsey added:

"Player safety is one of the things that should be talked about more. S--t like getting fined for socks, let's talk about it. ... I get fined every week [but] I play the game with integrity, I play the game the right way, I try to make sure people are safe. Obviously I want to go out there and hurt my opponent, strike fear, but I don't want to injure nobody. But like, that is what the game is about. It's not about the other B.S. ... That's what it needs to be about. Player safety, how can we protect the players as much as we can.

"If we want to go out there and look good, and it ain't hurting the integrity of the game, why are y'all fining me $10,000 for my socks? ... You want to think about protecting guys, not ... damn socks."

Ramsey told reporters he was fined $10,000 by the NFL last week for his socks, insisting he will "keep swaggin."

Rams kicker Matt Gay made jokes regarding the NFL's uniform policy earlier this season by wearing his pants awkwardly in practice and noting that the NFL fined him $5,000 for pant length in Week 1:

Ramsey was among the teammates who supported Gay on social media, suggesting that the policy was a "joke."

Since entering the NFL as the No. 5 pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016, Ramsey has been one of the league's most exciting players.

He has been one of the top corners in the NFL as well, earning five Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro nods. He was also a key part of the Rams team that won the Super Bowl last season.

In seven NFL seasons, Ramsey has 16 interceptions and 78 passes defended, although quarterbacks usually tend to shy away from throwing in his direction.

With one pick, four passes defended and 16 tackles in three games this season, Ramsey has helped the defending Super Bowl champs to a 2-1 start.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo apparently doesn't know what he said while walking off the field after throwing an interception late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 11-10 road defeat to the Denver Broncos.

A video circulating on social media appeared to show Garoppolo criticizing head coach Kyle Shanahan's play-calling after he was picked off by Broncos linebacker Jonas Griffith on a deflected pass to Deebo Samuel.

Fans, after trying to read his lips, believe Garoppolo said "All your plays suck, man," to Shanahan.

Garoppolo acknowledged that he's "not sure exactly what I was saying" but that he's probably said "a lot worse things on the field."

Shanahan addressed the viral video earlier this week, calling it a "joke" and adding that he's "pretty sure" that's not what Garoppolo said.

If there is tension brewing between Garoppolo and Shanahan, the two will need to put their differences aside for the betterment of the team.

Garoppolo is slated to start his second game of the season against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday after taking over for Trey Lance in a Week 2 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Lance is sidelined for the remainder of the year with an ankle injury.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan doesn't believe that Jimmy Garoppolo criticized his play-calling despite a video circulating on social media appearing to show the veteran quarterback doing just that.

"The clip to me is a joke," Shanahan told reporters Thursday. I’m pretty sure that’s not what he said."

During Sunday's 11-10 loss to the Denver Broncos, Garoppolo didn't appear to be on board with Shanahan's game plan.

After Broncos linebacker Jonas Griffith picked off Garoppolo on a deflected pass to Deebo Samuel late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game, the ninth-year quarterback was seen walking off the field shaking his head.

Garoppolo was also caught on camera speaking his mind about Shanahan's play-calling, and fans began to speculate that he said, "All your plays suck, man," after trying to read his lips.

The 30-year-old finished the game having completed 18 of 29 passes for 211 yards and one touchdown against one interception. It was his first full game this year since taking over for the injured Trey Lance, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, and going 13-of-21 for 154 yards and one touchdown in a 27-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

Shanahan and the 49ers decided to replace Garoppolo as the starter entering the 2022 campaign, so his relationship with the head coach and franchise might not be in a great spot. That said, he and Shanahan will need to work through their issues if San Francisco wants to reach the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Rams lead the NFC West with a 2-1 record, with the 49ers, Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals at 1-2. The 49ers and Rams will meet on Monday in L.A.