NFC West

Trey Lance is set to take over as the starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, and one of his teammates compared him to one of the NFL's best quarterbacks while meeting with the media Tuesday.

Niners wide receiver/returner Ray-Ray McCloud told reporters that Lance reminds him of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

“I came in with Josh Allen and the Bills and he gives me that same type of energy. That I’m ready to take the next step energy.”

49ers WR/return man Ray-Ray McCloud with a big time comp for Trey Lance. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Ed76YYtR9L

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) August 9, 2022

The 49ers selected Lance third overall in the 2021 draft, but they still relied on Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback last season in order to let the North Dakota State product develop in preparation for the 2022 campaign.

The 22-year-old appeared in six games as a rookie last season, completing 57.7 percent of his passes for 603 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 168 yards and one score.

It's hard to compare Lance and Allen, though the latter didn't truly make his presence felt until the 2020 season when he finished second in MVP voting and fourth in Offensive Player of the Year voting.

So, if Lance doesn't live up to the hype in his first full season as a starter, it's probably best not to worry too much, especially if there's a possibility he could take a similar path to Allen.

The New England Patriots scored just 13 points even with the all-time great Tom Brady under center during Super Bowl LIII but still managed to defeat the Los Angeles Rams by double digits.

How?

A defensive masterpiece by head coach Bill Belichick.

On the other side of that was Rams head coach Sean McVay, who told Seth Wickersham of ESPN he believed he coached the game "like an amateur ... so in over my head." The Rams scored just a single field goal, with Jared Goff throwing an interception and being sacked four times and Todd Gurley posting just 35 yards on 10 carries.

McVay notably swore something like that wouldn't happen again, and he is now on top of the football world as a defending champion after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

The Rams are once again in Super-Bowl-or-bust entering the 2022 campaign with McVay leading a group that includes Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp.

Another Lombardi Trophy would surely help him erase painful memories of his "amateur" performance against Belichick.

The San Francisco 49ers believe Jimmy Garoppolo has some value on the trade market despite failing to find a deal so far this offseason, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

"My sense is the 49ers still think they can get something, even if it's just a late-round pick, for him while dictating his destination," Breer wrote.

Garoppolo has a $26.95 million cap hit for 2022, though the team can save $25.55 million by trading or releasing him, per Spotrac. His $24.2 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed on Monday of Week 1 (Sept. 12).

Despite the potential financial ramifications, Breer argued the 49ers don't want to release him because he could then be added by the division rival Seattle Seahawks.

There are still few logical trade partners for San Francisco at this point of the year, with most teams already settled at quarterback.

Offseason shoulder surgery cooled the trade market earlier in the offseason for Garoppolo, although he was cleared to practice without restrictions last week.

The 49ers have still moved on at the position with Trey Lance set to become the starting quarterback. Garoppolo, meanwhile, has simply been waiting to find out his new home.

"There’s no secret here of what the situation is," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. "I think he fully understands the situation. We fully understand the situation. So, we make the best of it."

"He's just trying to get his body ready for hopefully the next situation he goes into," Shanahan added.

The 49ers are hoping they can control the situation—keeping him away from division rivals while getting some assets in return—but the lack of suitors could limit the options going forward.

Deebo Samuel is a Trey Lance believer.

The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver discussed the young quarterback with Tom Pelissero and Maurice Jones-Drew of NFL Network and said the improvement is noticeable as he gets more experience during training camp.

"He's getting better day by day," Samuel said. "It's his first year of really being the guy of the offense, so it's gonna take time."

Catching up with Deebo Samuel today at #49ers camp about the contract, Trey Lance and more on @nflnetwork @MJD pic.twitter.com/8yqryVmanv

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 7, 2022

San Francisco traded up to select Lance with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft, and he appeared in six games as a rookie with two starts. While he was inconsistent with a 57.7 percent completion mark, he had five touchdown passes to two interceptions and added 168 yards and a score on the ground.

Lance's ability to use his legs is one of the things that separates him from incumbent Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers have made it clear that they are looking toward the future and starting the second-year signal-caller.

As Samuel discussed, Lance's ability to live up to expectations could be the difference between a Super Bowl run and a disappointing campaign for San Francisco.

After all, he is surrounded by talent in Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and a strong rushing attack. There is also a formidable defense in place with players such as Nick Bosa and Fred Warner leading the way.

The team made the NFC Championship Game last season with Garoppolo under center as something of a game manager with 20 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions.

Lance can elevate the Niners' ceiling by being more of a playmaker with the ball in his hands. He'll need to continue working on his accuracy as he prepares for his first season as a starter, though.

To hear Samuel tell it, that improvement is happening on a daily basis.

Drew Lock reportedly took an important step in the battle with Geno Smith to be the quarterback who fills Russell Wilson's shoes on the Seattle Seahawks.

Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune reported that Lock was the better quarterback than Smith during a mock game Saturday, noting the offense "just did more" with the former under center.

"It depends on what it tells me, I don't know that, but it's really important to see where we've come," head coach Pete Carroll said when discussing how important it was in the overall quarterback battle, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. … "We did that really well, so we've made a lot of progress, but now we need to see what it looks like on film. It might not tell us as much as I hope, but we will see."

According to Bell, Lock completed 19-of-26 passes and led two drives that ended in touchdowns and another that resulted in a field goal. By comparison, Smith went 11-for-20 and directed one touchdown drive and one field-goal drive.

"I don't have anything to tell you right now, I have to wait and see," Carroll said when asked if the performance would lead to more first-team practice reps for Lock.

Seattle opens its preseason slate on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers and kicks off the regular season with a matchup against Wilson's Denver Broncos. Whoever wins the starting job will be under the microscope even more in that season opener considering they will be facing a Seahawks legend making his first start elsewhere.

The race is far from over, but Lock reportedly looked more ready for the challenge Saturday.

Odell Beckham Jr. remains a free agent, but it does not appear the three-time Pro Bowler is in a rush to decide on his next team.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported nothing is "imminent" despite Beckham receiving interest from several contenders.

From Inside Training Camp: The #Rams have stayed in contact with FA WR Odell Beckham Jr, but what’s next? Me and Tom Pelissero discuss… pic.twitter.com/JMYMJRMVFU

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 7, 2022

Beckham is not expected to be available early in the season as he recovers from an ACL tear suffered during Super Bowl LVI.

The Los Angeles Rams are expected to pursue bringing Beckham back and may have a bit more urgency with Van Jefferson dealing with a knee injury of his own. Jefferson is expected to miss multiple weeks after undergoing a procedure on his knee last week, though his injury was far less severe than Beckham's.

Rapoport also mentioned the Green Bay Packers as a potential fit. Beckham considered Green Bay before winding up with the Rams last season following his unceremonious exit from Cleveland.

Once one of the NFL's most prolific receivers, Beckham has not made a Pro Bowl since 2016 and clearly lacked elite-level burst after tearing his ACL for the first time in 2020. Beckham reeled in 27 catches for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular-season games with the Rams, eclipsing any single-season TD total he had with the Browns.

Before his disappointing ending to last season, it appeared Beckham was finally finding his way back to prominence in the postseason. He had 21 catches for 288 yards and two scores during the Rams' Super Bowl run, including a touchdown against the Bengals in the Super Bowl.

The Seattle Seahawks have a quarterback battle brewing in training camp between Geno Smith and newcomer Drew Lock.

On Saturday, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters that Smith is currently in pole position.

"Geno continues to be on top, he's ahead, he's been in the lead for all the obvious reasons, and he's holding onto it and doing a really good job of battling," he said. "Both guys are communicating beautifully, they're learning well, we don't have any issues with anything we're trying to do. There are no issues here where we have to go, 'Oh, we can't quite do this or that with this guy or that guy,' it isn't like that. They're very talented arm-wise, and the ability to throw the ball down the field is there. So, let the games begin."

As for those "obvious reasons" Smith is the current frontrunner, Carroll provided more details.

"He's just doing things right," he said. "He handles the system, he's making the checks at the line of scrimmage, he's able to control the protections and working with [center] Austin [Blythe], those guys are hitting it really well, and he's just really talented. He's made great throws every day."

That doesn't mean there isn't an opening for Lock to win the job, however.

"I'm still looking for them to really come in, and really own it, and put days together where they don't have any negative plays, the plays that they wish they had back," Carroll noted. "So, in a sense, there's been openings for both guys by not having the complete day, getting everything done, and finishing the day close to perfect."

Smith, 31, spent the previous two seasons in Seattle as Russell Wilson's backup, making three starts last season when Wilson was out injured. He led the Seahawks to a 1-2 record in those games, finishing the season with 702 passing yards, five scores and an interception while completing 68.4 percent of his passes.

After being the starter for the New York Jets early in his career during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Smith has largely been a backup with the Jets and during stints on the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers before finding his way to Seattle.

Lock, 25, was a second-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2019 draft with aspirations he would eventually become the team's starter.

But he struggled in 21 starts across three seasons, throwing for 4,740 yards, 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions while completing just 59.3 percent of his passes. The Broncos were 8-13 in his starts, and when they chose to upgrade at the position by trading for Wilson, Lock was sent the other way.

Pete Carroll says of QB Drew Lock: “He’s got some gunslinger in him.…. We want to see how that all fits with us.” Carroll, Seahawks coaches are trying to manage that, get him to make the right decisions. Carroll said the talent is there. pic.twitter.com/u0MKwUg1TY

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 5, 2022

For Lock, the chance to win the starting gig may come with more reps.

"He just needs to stay out there and show us how he's going to make his decisions when the big opportunities come," Carroll told reporters. "He's made a ton of plays already. He's made a ton of good throws, he really runs well, he's elusive, he has a really quick trigger, his ability to release the football shows up, he has a lot of talent now. So we just need reps. We need turns, we just need to see more situations to really find any reason to see a difference between the guys. There's just not enough stuff yet."

Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters Friday that the Cardinals need to do a better job of "handling our business" in regards to the team's off-field issues this offseason.

Kliff Kingsbury said he'd prefer the focus of training camp to be on football rather than all the off-field issues the Cardinals have been dealing with. He hopes it can get there: "Moving forward, we got to be better as an organization handling our business. There's no question."

— Josh Weinfuss (@joshweinfuss) August 5, 2022

This has been a noisy offseason for the Cardinals. Most notably, contract talks with star quarterback Kyler Murray played out in dramatic and drawn-out fashion over a period of months.

That ordeal ended when Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million extension last month.

The Cardinals' offseason included (but was not limited to) reports of discontent in February, one month after an ugly 34-11 Wild Card Round loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Where’s it headed?
Despite the acrimony, the Cardinals expect things to calm down and Murray is their QB.
Select veterans hope to reach Murray on how he handle adversity better.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury also is self-scouting where he can provide better alternatives for QB.

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) February 13, 2022

Murray also scrubbed all Cardinals references from his social media.

Before March even hit, Murray's representation put out a long, detailed post firing a salvo in contract talks with the team, noting that "actions speak much louder than words in this volatile business."

A statement from Cardinals’ QB Kyler Murray’s agent, @ErikBurkhardt: pic.twitter.com/qsWGZIZ0jB

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2022

After a few more months, Murray and the Cardinals finally got the contract agreed upon, but then word emerged of a clause that stated the quarterback had to do four hours of independent study per game week.

It was not well received, and Murray defended his work ethic to the media.

"I refuse to let my work ethic be in question."

🗣 @K1 pic.twitter.com/28TZD5AvSk

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) July 28, 2022

There's more to this Cardinals offseason than Murray, though.

Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been suspended six games for failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs. He has denied knowingly taking any substance to violate NFL rules.

Marquise Brown, who the Cardinals acquired via trade from the Baltimore Ravens in April, was arrested and charged with criminal speeding Wednesday. Police said he was going 126 mph in a 65 mph zone.

It's been a rocky road since last season ended. Week 1 won't be an easy task for the Cardinals either as Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs come into town to open the season Sept. 11.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is dealing with "abnormal" elbow pain in his throwing arm, and the ailment is cause for at least some concern, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport.

"This is not nothing," Rapoport said Friday on The Pat McAfee Show. "You know, it's a quarterback. It is an arm and, I mean look, it's a Super Bowl champion who is not throwing. There's going to be several practices where he's not going to throw. It was described to me as thrower's elbow, which is basically a pitcher injury where you have a tendon issue in your elbow and you have to kind of manage it.

"... I think they're going to manage it and be OK. But any time your quarterback is not throwing, it is important and something worth watching."

Rapoport's comments come after he reported Thursday that Stafford's injury was considered to be "bad tendinitis" and that "everyone in L.A. thinks this is going to be fine."

Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters this week that Stafford was dealing with pain that is "a little abnormal for a quarterback," according to ESPN's Sarah Barshop. He added that the team knew they were going to take a "modified approach" with the veteran signal-caller during camp:

"I think I've got a responsibility to try to make decisions that are in the best alignment using medical experts and talking with Matthew. And so all of those things combined led to where we're at right now. And it is an ever-evolving process, but we are really taking over these next couple weeks, seeing how they go."

Stafford received an anti-inflammatory injection in his right elbow this offseason, and the Rams haven't allow him to throw during OTAs or minicamp this summer.

The 34-year-old also dealt with elbow pain at times last season, with McVay saying that his current ailment is "consistent with what's been going on."

However, Stafford still put together one of his best seasons in 2021, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns against 17 interceptions to lead the Rams to a first-place finish in the NFC West for the first time since the 2018 campaign.

The former Detroit Lion also put together an impressive postseason, completing 70 percent of his passes for 1,188 yards and nine touchdowns against three interceptions en route to a Super Bowl title.

So, even if Stafford isn't feeling 100 percent by the time the regular season starts, he still has the capability to lead the Rams on another deep playoff run.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday the team agreed to allow quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to work separately while awaiting a potential trade.

Garoppolo has been cleared for football activities after undergoing surgery in March, but the Niners decided to move forward with 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance as the new leader of their offense.

In turn, Shanahan explained the team's former starter didn't desire full involvement in the 49ers' preseason preparations, which is why he's been practicing off to the side.

"We made it the best for both," Shanahan told reporters. "I mean, if Jimmy wanted to be in every single meeting and wanted to do everything, for sure we would let him. I would guess that isn't what he would want, totally. And when we asked him, that was accurate—he didn't totally want that. So he's just trying to get his body ready for hopefully the next situation he goes into."

Garoppolo and the team's front office are in a difficult situation because the injury limited trade interest throughout the offseason, and now most opposing franchises have solidified their quarterback situations for 2022.

One exception is the Seattle Seahawks, who are hosting a training camp battle between Geno Smith and Drew Lock for the top spot on the depth chart.

In May, Hawks head coach Pete Carroll downplayed the idea of making a trade, though.

"I don't see us making a trade for anybody at all," Carroll said. "I don't see that happening. But we're certainly going to continue to be open to chances to help our club, and meanwhile we're just going to be battling and competing our tails off."

It's unclear whether that stance could have changed over the past few months.

Meanwhile, Shanahan said Friday the 49ers maintain a "real good relationship" with Garoppolo.

"There's no secret here of what the situation is," he said. "I think he fully understands the situation. We fully understand the situation. So, we make the best of it. Jimmy's out there. He's feeling better and better each day."

The question becomes whether the 30-year-old Eastern Illinois product will be ready to handle a backup role to open the new season if no trade is found since he's not taking part in the full allotment of practices and meetings.

That uncertainty combined with his contract situation could force the Niners to make a tough decision before roster cuts.

Garoppolo is set to enter the final season of a five-year, $137.5 million contract, which includes a $26.95 million salary-cap hit for 2022.

The 49ers would receive $25.55 million in cap savings if he's released, according to Spotrac. But the salary becomes fully guaranteed if he makes the initial 53-man roster, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner, which must be finalized by Aug. 30.

So, while San Francisco has long maintained it won't release Garoppolo, it could be a few weeks away from that being the most viable option.

The Niners have an NFL-low $692,000 in cap space, and they're going to need money for signings when injuries inevitably arise throughout the season.

Ultimately, all signs point to Garoppolo having played his last game with the 49ers, but how that tenure will end remains a mystery.