NFC West

Coming off a historic 2021 season capped off by catching the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LVI, Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp has a strong argument as the best wide receiver in the NFL.

Kupp, though, apparently doesn't think of himself as one of the top five wideouts in the league. Appearing on I AM ATHLETE (starts at 2:00 mark), the 29-year-old ranked Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, Stefon Diggs, Ja'Marr Chase and Odell Beckham Jr. as the five best players at the position.

If you believe that where an athlete ranks himself should be ironclad and not subject to change, Kupp has opened himself up to scrutiny from people who keep track of these things.

Last month, Jefferson told reporters he is the second-best receiver in the NFL because he has to respect all that Adams has accomplished in his career.

When asked about Kupp, the Minnesota Vikings superstar said he is "good, but I'll say he's behind me."

After getting word of that assessment, Kupp told reporters he respected Jefferson's opinion "and I can also respectfully disagree."

It's hard to argue that Jefferson and Kupp aren't among the best players at their position. Jefferson has racked up 3,016 yards and 17 touchdowns on 196 receptions in 33 games over his first two seasons in the NFL.

Kupp has been a solid receiver over the course of his career, but the Eastern Washington alum turned in one of the best seasons in league history last year. He won the receiving triple crown with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Per NFL.com's Grant Gordon, the only other players to record at least 100 receptions, 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season are Jerry Rice (1995), Marvin Harrison (2001) and Randy Moss (2003).

During the Rams' run to the Super Bowl, Kupp added 33 catches, 478 yards and six touchdowns in four playoff games. His final catch of the year was a one-yard touchdown that put the Rams up 23-20 over the Cincinnati Bengals with 1:25 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.

If that's not enough to make Kupp one of the five best wideouts in the league, what is?

Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald said the viral video that showed him "choking" fellow defensive lineman Elijah Garcia is a drill to simulate shutting down run lanes.

The video, which popped up on social media Monday, showed Donald putting his hand around Garcia's neck and shoving him backwards.

He was asked about the unique practice moment by former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall for Friday's episode of I Am Athlete (1:40 mark of video below).

"It's a technique. Run scoop," Donald said. "I'm closing my 'A' gap. This is my 'B' gap [points in the opposite direction]. I'm closing that. That's the guard, I'm closing that 'A' gap. So they can't cut back, they can't cut to the 'A' gap, they gotta cut to me."

Marshall jokingly asked what was more disrespectful, that drill or one where Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry uses multiple defenders jumping toward him on their hands and knees to practice breaking low tackles.

"It ain't disrespectful. It's a technique. [Garcia's] a rookie! He's gotta pay his dues!" Donald said with a laugh.

Whatever Donald is doing to prepare himself for the constant double-teams he faces from opponents each week is working.

The 31-year-old University of Pittsburgh product is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time Pro Bowl selection. He was also a driving force behind the Rams' run to the Super Bowl LVI title last season.

L.A. begins its championship defense Sept. 8 when it welcomes the Buffalo Bills to SoFi Stadium for the NFL's annual Kickoff Game.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is apparently dealing with elbow pain that is more common in pitchers than signal-callers.

Head coach Sean McVay said as much, telling reporters the pain is "a little bit abnormal for a quarterback," per Sarah Barshop of ESPN. Barshop noted Stafford received an injection in the right elbow this offseason and didn't throw during spring workouts.

The Georgia product dealt with elbow pain at times last season, and McVay classified this update as "consistent with what's been going on" instead of a setback.

The coach also said the goal is to have Stafford ready for the opener against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 8.

He added:

"That's kind of the perspective and the big-picture approach that we want to be able to take. I don't know that I would feel as comfortable taking that approach if it wasn't for the experience that he's accumulated and knowing how intentional he is about staying up to speed with his mental and his physical work that he can do in the absence of some of the stuff in the team settings."

This is far from Stafford's first rodeo as he enters the 14th season of his career and second with the Rams. Managing pain comes with the territory as an NFL quarterback, even if this particular pain is more common in another sport.

He handled it well last season as he led Los Angeles to the Super Bowl title in his first year away from the Detroit Lions.

Stafford completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,886 yards, 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He is expected to lead the Rams into Super Bowl contention again this season with many of the same pieces back on the roster.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury discussed the arrest of wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and told reporters, "Obviously he knows he's got to be better than that and he will be moving forward."

On Wednesday KTAR News 92.3 FM and Arizona Sports reported Brown was arrested on criminal speeding charges. According to Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro, the wide receiver was driving at 126 mph.

ESPN noted criminal speeding in Arizona is a misdemeanor and defined as driving 20 or more mph over the speed limit.

Brown was driving in a zone with a 65 mph speed limit.

Mark McClune of 3TV CBS 5 reported he was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled for a hearing on Aug. 23.

That hearing falls in between Arizona's second and third preseason games. It faces the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 12, the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 21 and the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 27. The Cardinals will have joint practices with the Titans in Tennessee leading up to that game, so it remains to be seen whether Brown will participate.

The Oklahoma product played the first three seasons of his career on the Ravens and came to Arizona as part of a draft-day trade.

While he has dealt with a hamstring injury in the early portion of training camp, he figures to be a key part in the Cardinals' offense this season. After all, he is coming off a career year that saw him tally 91 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns in 2021.

Having Brown available in the early portion of the season will be even more important for the Cardinals because No. 1 wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will be suspended for the first six games for violating the league's policy on performance enhancers.

Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp isn't accepting the notion that Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings is the best wide receiver in the NFL.

According to NFL.com's Grant Gordon, Jefferson was asked recently to name the league's top wideout, and while he mentioned Kupp, he ultimately went with himself, saying, "Coop is good, but I'll say he's behind me."

Not surprisingly, Kupp has countered with a take of his own, and it doesn't match Jefferson's, as he said, "I respect his opinion and I can also respectfully disagree."

Kupp praised Jefferson's confidence while also suggesting that he would give himself the nod when it comes to determining the NFL's best wide receiver:

"I would hope he would say that. I think that's the beauty of this game. I think it speaks to the competitiveness of this league. If you're not putting yourself as the best and you're not working to be the best, then I'd be concerned about stepping on the field with you if you don't feel like you've prepared to be the best player that you can be."

It is difficult to argue with Kupp's assessment given that he is coming off one of the greatest seasons by a wideout in NFL history.

He led the league in receptions (145), receiving yardage (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16) en route to being named a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro for the first time, plus he won the Offensive Player of the Year award and finished third in MVP voting.

Additionally, Kupp was dominant during the Rams' playoff run, racking up 33 catches for 478 yards and six touchdowns in four games and winning the Super Bowl MVP award.

While Kupp was spectacular last season, Jefferson's career is off to a historic start, as his 3,016 receiving yards through his first two NFL campaigns are the most by any player in NFL history.

Last season, Jefferson finished with 108 receptions for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro nods.

Jefferson is perhaps the more dynamic player downfield, while Kupp is more versatile and able to burn defenders anywhere on the field.

The biggest difference between Kupp and Jefferson may be team success, as the Rams won the Super Bowl last season, while the Vikes haven't yet made the playoffs with Jefferson on the roster.

Regardless of how they should be ranked, all signs point toward Kupp (29 years old) and Jefferson (23) being two of the NFL's best wideouts for years to come.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown was arrested on Wednesday on criminal speeding charges.

Per KTAR News 92.3 FM and ArizonaSports.com, the Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said Brown's arrest took place at 7:05 a.m. local time when he was heading southbound on Loop 101 driving in an HOV lane.

Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported that Brown was clocked going 126 mph.

"We are aware of the situation regarding Hollywood Brown and have reported it to the NFL office as required," the Cardinals said in a statement. "We will comment further as appropriate."

Brown opened training camp on the non-football injury list as he recovered from a hamstring issue.

The Cardinals announced on Tuesday they activated Brown, but he walked off the field with a trainer as the team took the field for stretching before the start of practice.

"We're just easing him back in," head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters.

Kingsbury also noted he wanted Brown to be able to take part in individual drills by the end of the week and be a full participant in practice starting next week.

Arizona acquired Brown from the Baltimore Ravens during the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. The Cardinals sent the No. 23 overall pick to Baltimore.

The deal reunited Brown and Kyler Murray, who played together at the University of Oklahoma for two seasons from 2017 to '18. Brown led the Sooners with 75 receptions and 1,318 receiving yards and was named to the All-American first team in 2018.

The Cardinals are counting on Brown to be their No. 1 receiver at the start of the season. DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for the first six games due to violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Brown had a career-high 1,008 receiving yards and 91 receptions for the Ravens in 2021.

Jimmy Garoppolo has been fully cleared for football activities—just don't expect him to step on the field with his San Francisco 49ers teammates.

49ers general manager John Lynch said Garoppolo has "no restrictions" but will continue to work out on the side as the team tries to find a trade partner for the backup quarterback.

“We’ve just made the decision that it’s in his best interest to be off to the side and that was made mutually,” Lynch told reporters. “It was made with Dr. [Neil] ElAttrache, but he has no restrictions and I’m watching him throw out here right now. He looks pretty good.”

Lynch has been exploring trades for several months but found a tepid market amid concerns about Garoppolo's throwing shoulder. The team recently gave Garoppolo's representation permission to seek a trade on their own, a move that could expedite the negotiations process.

That said, the number of teams in need of a quarterback has evaporated. The Seattle Seahawks are the team most in glaring need of a starter but seem satisfied to move forward with Geno Smith and Drew Lock rather than make a deal with a division rival. The Cleveland Browns are seemingly set on Jacoby Brissett opening as their Week 1 starter with Deshaun Watson suspended.

The 49ers may need to wait until there's an injury or player underperforming in camp for a legitimate market to form. If we get deeper into August and Garoppolo's still on the roster, the team may wind up having to consider outright releasing him. Garoppolo has said all the right things publicly, but there would be a natural tension to give the job back to the veteran if Trey Lance scuffles out of the gate.

Trading or releasing Garoppolo would eliminate any potential for Lance to be looking over his shoulder.

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa said he's "happy" with the organization and believes there won't be any issues once the sides start discussing a contract extension.

"I have a lot of faith that when the time comes, it will be smooth," Bosa told Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group on Monday.

The two-time Pro Bowl selection is entering the fourth season of his $33.6 million rookie contract, and the Niners already picked up his fifth-year option for 2023.

Bosa won the 2019 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award on the strength of nine sacks after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in that season's draft.

The Ohio State product was limited to two appearances in 2020 before suffering a torn ACL, but he quickly returned to form last year, ranking fourth in the NFL with 15.5 sacks while playing all 17 games.

Last week, 49ers general manager John Lynch stated they're planning to address the 24-year-old edge-rusher's contract situation in 2023.

"His time's coming," Lynch said.

Bosa noted he understands lucrative contracts like the one he's put himself in line to earn often take time to hammer out.

"I know it's one of the hardest negotiation units up there with Paraag [Marathe, the 49ers' executive vice president of football operations] and all those guys," he told Inman. "But I think when they know your value."

The Florida native added he was “lucky” to end up in San Francisco with Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.

"I'm just happy, because this organization is so great. They give you all the resources you need," Bosa said. "They listen to my input. Obviously, you have to get some respect in the building before you can give input, but I have a great relationship with Kyle and John, so it's all good."

If Bosa posts high-end numbers again in 2022, he'll put himself in position to become one of the highest-paid edge-rushers in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt currently has the highest average contract value at $28 million, and it takes $23.5 million to crack the top five, per Spotrac.

The Niners are scheduled to open the regular season Sept. 11 when they visit Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears.

The Seattle Seahawks announced Monday that head coach Pete Carroll has tested positive for COVID-19.

The team said Carroll, who's fully vaccinated, is dealing with mild symptoms and will work remotely.

The Seahawks opened training camp last Wednesday and have their first preseason game in less than two weeks Aug. 13.

Carroll is the second notable NFL figure to have a positive COVID test announced Monday, joining Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.

In March, the NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed to suspend their joint COVID-19 protocols, which included mask requirements and regular tracking of players and staffers.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported in June the league was dropping its mandated surveillance testing as well.

The number of positive COVID tests in the United States began declining in the spring but has risen again across the summer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the current daily average for new cases is 125,355.