NFC West

Los Angeles Rams star Jalen Ramsey will be active in his team's season-opener against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.

"He's feeling good," Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters Friday. "He sure looks good out here, and so he’s feeling good and he’s going to be ready to roll on the 8th."

Ramsey began 2022 training camp on the physically unable to perform list after undergoing offseason surgery on both of his shoulders. He didn't return to fully practicing until early August.

The 27-year-old played the entire 2021 season with tears in both shoulders and only missed one game because of COVID-19. He posted four interceptions, 16 passes defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and 77 tackles in 16 games.

Ramsey has been a key piece of the L.A. secondary since coming over in a trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2019 season. He has been mostly durable, too, appearing in at least 15 games in five of his six NFL seasons.

If Ramsey misses any time this year, the Rams can turn to Derion Kendrick and Robert Rochell at cornerback.

San Francisco 49ers legend Steve Young believes the team's quarterback situation could be complicated in 2022.

"I've got my fingers crossed," Young told Cam Inman of the Mercury News. "This is great. This is hairy stuff."

Trey Lance is slated to take over for Jimmy Garoppolo as the 49ers' starting quarterback, and the attempts to trade Garoppolo this offseason were unsuccessful. The veteran eventually agreed to restructure his contract and remain on the team as a backup.

It could put more pressure on Lance as he enters his second year in the league, especially considering Garoppolo led the squad to the NFC Championship Game last season. Early struggles could have the fans calling for a change.

Young, however, sees the positives that come from increased competition for Lance.

"In some ways, Jimmy being there, holds your own feet to the fire that can be productive," Young said of Lance. "It depends how he takes it in. It seems he takes in productively, and it can be thought in of the positive."

Young was notably the backup behind Joe Montana at the beginning of his career in San Francisco before an injury allowed him to take over in 1991, eventually breaking out with an MVP season in 1992. Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in 2021, also has enormous potential if he can overcome the threat of Garoppolo on the depth chart.

The Arizona Cardinals and free safety Jalen Thompson agreed to a three-year, $40 million contract extension with $24.5 million guaranteed, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Thompson, a fifth-round selection in the 2019 supplemental draft, is now tied to the Cardinals through 2025. Arizona confirmed that it signed Thompson to a contract extension but did not disclose terms.

The former Washington State star amassed 121 tackles and three interceptions last season.

Thompson played 17 games with 12 starts and recorded seven pass breakups.

The deal looks like a great value for the Cardinals, and Kevin Zimmerman of 98.7 Arizona Sports provided his take.

The Jalen Thompson deal at $40 million over three years is the Mikal Bridges deal of the Cards.

Lock up the dudes you can count on before they get more expensive.

— Kevin Zimmerman (@KZimmermanAZ) September 2, 2022

Kyle Odegard of Compare.bet noted how strong the Cardinals should be at the position.

Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson set to be one of the best safety tandems in the NFL for years to come.

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) September 2, 2022

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated called Thompson "versatile" and "tough" and possibly as good as Budda Baker, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro.

Thompson and the Cardinals are looking to improve upon an 11-6 season that ended with an NFC Wild Card Round appearance. They will open the 2022 campaign at home against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 11.

Jimmy Garoppolo surprised many Monday when he chose to remain with the San Francisco 49ers for the 2022 season rather than pushing for a trade as had been expected.

While speaking to reporters Thursday, Garoppolo said he's satisfied with staying in the Bay Area for another year.

"I think things worked out for the best," he said. "It was a lot of ups and downs, rocky roads here and there, but I think throughout the whole thing, me, I'm happy with where I'm at, happy to be with the Niners. I think the Niners are happy to have me back. I think things are working out pretty well."

Garoppolo agreed to a restructured one-year deal that includes no-trade and no-tag clauses and allows him to become a free agent in 2023. He will spend this season as the backup to second-year quarterback Trey Lance, who was named San Francisco's starter earlier this offseason.

When asked if he checked with Lance before agreeing to remain on the team, Garoppolo said he was assured by head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch that the youngster was OK with having the veteran behind him on the depth chart.

"Me and Trey, honestly, I know a lot of stuff gets made in the media and s--t like that, but we have a good relationship," Garoppolo said. "So everyone can say what they want and everything, but what we went through last year is very similar to this situation, so it's not like we haven't done it before."

While Garoppolo admitted it was "weird" to be in a state of limbo amid the trade rumors, he never specifically requested to be dealt away from the team. The 30-year-old explained that it just wasn't in his character to push for a trade.

"There was a thought of that at one point. Trust me, there was. But that came and went," Garoppolo said of the possibility of a trade request. "I don’t know. Things just kept falling into place. I’m one of those people that, you know, I don’t want to ruffle feathers too much here and there. I want to go with the flow and that’s kind of the way training camp was going, and I was happy with it."

Garoppolo added that there weren't any ideal fits for him with other teams after an eventful offseason that saw a ton of star players being moved. The prospect of controlling his own destiny in 2023 is what was most appealing to him.

"Seeing the other opportunities that were out there, you weigh the pros and cons of everything—trust me," he said. "There was a lot of back and forth going on with other teams and what I wanted my future to look like. So this is what I wanted. I’m happy with the way it worked out."

If the San Francisco 49ers' preseason finale is any indication, Trey Lance is still a work in progress.

The second-year quarterback struggled throughout Thursday night's game, completing seven of 11 passes for 49 yards while failing to lead the 49ers to a scoring drive. Lance said he's not going to allow himself to get frustrated.

"Some ups and downs, for sure," Lance told reporters. "It never feels real good to lose, but I will learn from it and turn the page. I'm not going to make a bigger deal out of it than we need to. It was definitely not our best night, but like I said, we're not going to make too big a deal out of it."

Lance finished the preseason with 141 passing yards on 11-of-16 passing and ran only two times for eight yards. The 49ers largely chose to keep him in the pocket to limit the potential punishment the dual-threat takes ahead of the regular season.

It's likely we'll see a different, more aggressive version of Lance—for better or worse—once the regular season kicks off. Lance was inconsistent during his brief appearances as a rookie, throwing for 603 yards and five touchdowns against two picks while adding 168 yards and a score in the ground game. San Francisco went 1-1 in games Lance started in place of Jimmy Garoppolo, who remains on the roster but is on the trade block.

Garoppolo's future will likely be decided before Week 1, given he's due a $24.2 million base salary to serve as a backup this season. The 49ers struggled to find a trade partner because of Garoppolo's offseason shoulder surgery and were again left with their hat in their hand when the game of QB musical chairs ended before Garoppolo gained clearance.

Lance is clearly the Week 1 starter, but it would arguably be untenable to keep Garoppolo around while fully handing the keys over to the 2021 first-round pick. Any slight struggles from Lance would likely lead to some calling for the reinsertion of the veteran, perhaps hurting Lance's confidence in the process.

The Seattle Seahawks have had an uninspiring quarterback competition, which is partially their fault. Regardless of the team's decision on the starter, Seahawks fans should prepare for a dreadful 2022 season.

In March, Seattle traded quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos after the relationship between the star quarterback and head coach Pete Carroll had run its course, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said on The Rich Eisen Show. Seattle acquired five draft picks, tight end Noah Fant, defensive end Shelby Harris and quarterback Drew Lock in that deal.

Lock looks like the least valuable player asset in that deal after he lost a camp battle to Teddy Bridgewater last offseason and finished in defeat in all three of his starts for the 2021 campaign. However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted that the Seahawks saw him as a potential starter who needed a new stable environment.

"I'm told the team did not consider Lock a throw-in in the Wilson trade, but rather a viable fallback option. There's a belief among some with Seattle that some of Lock's issues in Denver were a byproduct of a revolving door of offensive coordinators and a defensive-minded head coach in Vic Fangio."

Though the changes in offensive play-calling coupled with a defensive-minded head coach may have stunted Lock's development, he's now on a team that's had three different offensive coordinators over the past five years under Carroll, who's a lead skipper with a defensive background.

Throughout the offseason, Seattle has treated Lock as plan B behind Geno Smith, who's spent two years with the team. In 2021, the latter played four games (three starts) as a fill-in for Wilson, throwing for 702 yards, five touchdowns and an interception with a 68.4 percent completion rate.

On the surface, Smith's numbers look OK, but he completed fewer than 60 percent of his pass attempts in two of those outings and didn't eclipse 209 passing yards in any of the four contests.

Despite Smith's game-manager performance in an audition and the fact that he has only started in five games since the 2015 term, the Seahawks never really had an even competition for the starting job.

Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune believes the Seahawks narrowed their focus to Smith's benefit:

Said it weeks ago: Can't understand why Pete Carroll didn't alternate Drew Lock with Geno Smith on the 1st offense from day 1 of training camp. Seahawks needlessly compressed their own QB competition. It's still not a true one. Lock's still sick, 7 days before preseason finale.

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 19, 2022

Carroll named Lock the starter for Seattle's Week 2 preseason matchup with the Chicago Bears, but shortly after, the team announced that he tested positive for COVID-19, which meant he had to quarantine for a mandatory five days.

As a result, the fourth-year signal-caller didn't have a chance to showcase himself in a pivotal game amid a position battle. However, had the Seahawks evenly distributed the practice reps throughout the offseason, they would've been able to better assess Lock's growth within their system.

On Tuesday, Carroll told reporters that he thinks the team has two No. 1 quarterbacks, but that's not how the coaching staff handled the competition. Setting Lock's illness aside, the Seahawks made it clear that Smith had to lose a grip on the lead for the starting job in order for his primary contender to win it.

Lock returned to practice Sunday, though on The Mike Salk Show (h/t Michael-Shawn Dugar), Carroll announced that Smith would start in his third consecutive preseason game Friday against the Dallas Cowboys.

Smith hasn't made a strong case for himself in two exhibition contests. He's yet to throw for a touchdown, completing 20 of 33 pass attempts for 213 yards, though he did score a rushing touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 of the preseason. Meanwhile, as a backup in one appearance, Lock completed 11 of 15 pass attempts for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

In fairness to Smith, the Seahawks hurt themselves with penalties (13 for 92 yards) and drops in their last outing with the Bears. In the postgame press conference with reporters, Carroll highlighted missed opportunities in the passing game.

"We have to catch the ball better in general. The guys that are trying to make this club have got to catch the football for us and make our plays. And it happened a little bit to Geno again, couple of balls that we need to catch. The first third down was a beautiful read and play and protection and all that, didn't make the catch."

Moreover, Seattle's top wide receivers, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, have yet to play a snap in the preseason. The coaching staff will probably rely heavily on practice performances to make a decision on the starter, which is a disadvantage for Lock, who operated the second-team offense for most of the offseason.

Metcalf told reporters that he's "supposed to play" against the Cowboys Friday and get some work in with Smith and Lock. Nonetheless, as the backup, Lock may not be able to show enough to surpass Smith, who would probably have to produce an awful performance to fall out of favor for the lead position.

In hindsight, Lock hasn't had a fair opportunity to work through his shortcomings and improve with mostly premium talent on the field, and Smith doesn't look any better than the game manager we saw in spot duty for a few games in 2021.

Unless the San Francisco 49ers feel exceptionally generous or Seattle shows desperation and proposes a ridiculous offer for Jimmy Garoppolo in an atypical in-division trade that involves a quarterback, the Seahawks will likely roll into the season with an underwhelming starter in Smith.

Seattle would have a more realistic chance at Garoppolo if San Francisco cuts him. But even with Trey Lance set to take over the 49ers offense, they have no reason to part ways with the experienced 30-year-old signal-caller right now. If a playoff-contending team loses its quarterback early in the season, that club's general manager may call San Francisco with a decent offer for Garoppolo.

Meanwhile, in Seattle, Lock has room to grow at 25 years old. However, before he had to quarantine because of COVID-19, his development took a backseat to Smith, who's 31 years old with 34 career starts, in a "true competition."

Lock has the arm strength to stretch the field, but he must work on his ball placement and cut down on turnovers. He's thrown for 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions (led the league in 2020 with 15) with a 59.3 percent completion rate through three campaigns.

Perhaps Lock would've shown some improvement with the quality of pass-catchers around him. Metcalf, Lockett and Fant can elevate a quarterback with their playmaking abilities. Metcalf and Fant both have a broad catch radius, and Lockett has made incredible catches in tight spaces.

Publicly, Carroll kept an open mind and emphasized his patience when he discussed the Seahawks' quarterback battle with reporters Tuesday.

Though assuming Smith continues to hold on to his starting role, he'll have a second (and possibly final chance) to prove himself as a starter while Lock works on his game with backups at practices.

Typically, NFL teams have quarterback battles to give contenders the opportunity to win the starting job. Smith may win the Seahawks' competition by default—not necessarily in a convincing fashion. Don't be surprised if Carroll turns to Lock at some point in the upcoming season.

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Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.

Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny may not be a big fantasy beneficiary following Kenneth Walker III's sports hernia.

The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar reported the Seahawks might deploy a running-back-by-committee, with Penny, Travis Homer and Deejay Dallas all potentially in play.

Penny seemed to turn a corner toward the end of the 2021 season after returning from a calf injury. In Seattle's final six games, he ran for 706 yards and six touchdowns.

The arrival of Walker, a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, obviously put a dent in Penny's value. The fact the 26-year-old isn't immediately pegged to be the primary ball-carrier in Walker's absence could be telling as well.

Head coach Pete Carroll acknowledged there's still no firm timeline for when Walker will be cleared. The Seahawks open the regular season Sept. 12 against the Denver Broncos.

Barring new developments before then, fantasy managers should continue to peg Penny into their lineups as an RB2 or flex.

An offense that's going to start Geno Smith or Drew Lock at quarterback figures to make the running game an important facet. Penny should get enough touches to make an impact, even if Homer or Dallas siphon away some of his touches.

Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt has tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Sunday.

The 33-year-old will not be available for Sunday's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens or the team's preseason game against the Tennessee Titans next week.

Watt responded to the news with a joke:

I think the snake brought it in the house… https://t.co/4pcOVKRKLh

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) August 21, 2022

Last week, Watt tweeted asking for help on how to handle what he thought was a rattlesnake he found in his bathroom. He later provided an update via video, revealing it wasn't a rattlesnake and that the guy he called for help picked it up with his bare hands and removed it from the house as it was "completely harmless."

"If you ever want to a feel like a wimp, that's a way to do it," Watt added.

Rattlesnake Update: pic.twitter.com/XhFAf7lKAk

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) August 13, 2022

Watt is entering his second season with the Cardinals after a 10-year stint with the Houston Texans. He appeared in just seven games during the 2021 campaign before undergoing shoulder surgery and missing the remainder of the year.

The five-time Pro Bowler posted one sack, two pass breakups, 16 tackles, five tackles for a loss and 10 quarterback hits before being sidelined.

Watt is expected to be a significant part of the Arizona defense in 2022 alongside Isaiah Simmons, Zaven Collins and Markus Golden. The Cardinals will need him to be fully healthy in order to take the next step this season.

The Cardinals will open the 2022 campaign on Sept. 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Before Marquise Brown was arrested on a criminal speeding charge earlier this month, the Arizona Cardinals receiver was ticketed for another speeding violation this summer.

According to TMZ Sports, Brown was cited going 71 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone on June 9 in Maricopa County, Arizona. He's due for a hearing in October and faces a fine of $350.

Less than two months later, Brown was arrested on Aug. 3 in Scottsdale, Arizona, for going 61 mph over the limit.

In Arizona, criminal speeding can be charged if the driver is going over 85 mph, resulting in up to 30 days in jail and up to a $500 fine, per Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic.

Brown said he was "very disappointed" in himself when addressing the incident last week.

"Just learn from it, you know, I'm not a guy to get in trouble," Brown told reporters. "So I'll just put it in my past and make sure I'm always doing the right things at all right times."

Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said he doesn't expect more off-field incidents from the wideout.

"Obviously he knows he's got to be better than that, and he will be moving forward," Kingsbury said at a press conference.

Brown is heading into his first year with the Cardinals after coming over in a draft-day trade from the Baltimore Ravens. The 25-year-old set career highs in 2021 with 91 catches for 1,008 yards, adding six touchdowns.

The Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks are reportedly more likely to add Jimmy Garoppolo after he's released, rather than trade for the San Francisco 49ers quarterback while he's still under contract.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler provided the latest on SportsCenter:

"People I've talked to around the league still expect that any interested team—whether it's the Browns, Seattle—they're waiting for him to be released.

"They don't want anything to do with that $26 million that he's owed this year. And they know the clock is ticking on San Francisco—that money becomes guaranteed Week 1. And so they're just going to sort of wait this out. There's a chance that the 49ers can try to get some sort of mid-to-late-round pick for him.

"Cleveland, they're the team that everybody is watching. What are they going to do? And right now, the early indications are they're pretty comfortable with Jacoby Brissett."

Garoppolo has a $26.95 million cap hit for 2022, but the 49ers can save $24.95 million by trading or releasing him before Week 1.

San Francisco owner Jed York recently indicated the team could keep Garoppolo into the season even as 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance takes over as the starting quarterback.

"I watched it with Joe (Montana) and Steve (Young) and I realize the salary cap is different today than having no salary cap. But we've said it before: We're happy to keep Jimmy," York told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. "We're happy to have him on the roster. And if that's the case, then that's the case."

Garoppolo has been the team's starter when healthy since arriving in a 2017 trade. He helped bring the team to the Super Bowl after the 2019 season and reached the NFC Championship Game last year.

Even with limitations, the 30-year-old represents a valuable insurance policy in case Lance gets hurt or struggles. There are high expectations for Lance, but he only has two career NFL starts out of North Dakota State.

On the other hand, the salary cap hit makes it difficult for the 49ers to retain Garoppolo as a backup.

Peter King of NBC Sports reported the quarterback doesn't even have a playbook or attend meetings during training camp. This strategy likely means Garoppolo will spend the season with another team.

The Browns might need an upgrade at quarterback with Deshaun Watson suspended for the first 11 games, while the Seahawks could use a more proven option compared to Geno Smith or Drew Lock. Neither squad sees value in giving up a draft pick and taking on Garoppolo's full salary.

If he hits the open market, however, it might be a different story.