AFC Notes: 49ers, Packers, Panthers

49ers

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said there isn’t a great chance QB Jimmy Garoppolo can return in the postseason, but didn’t rule out the possibility altogether.

“It will be a big recovery but much less than what we anticipated, which is awesome news for him in the offseason,” Shanahan said, via ESPN. “He’ll be good to go right away, so it won’t be like last year. There’s a way outside chance late in the playoffs or something like that, but it’s just an outside chance. We’re not real optimistic about that, but they didn’t rule it out.”

With San Francisco’s roster dealing with a rash of injuries, there’s no rush to place Garoppolo on injured reserve.

“We have got to play that by ear with our whole roster,” Shanahan said. “Our goal is to get to the playoffs, so we’ve got to make sure we do the best thing possible for that. That’s the issue with IR. Most likely, if that did happen, he wouldn’t be able to come back for that, so we’ll see how these IR decisions play out over the next couple of weeks.”

Shanahan is encouraged by the fact that Garoppolo should be ready to go for the team’s offseason activities.

“I know it’s a serious injury that’s most likely to keep him out for the year and I know it was really good news that there was no ligament damage or anything,” Shanahan said. “He’ll be fine once the broken foot heals.”

Packers

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst believes the long-term outlook of the team’s wide receiver room is positive, even after trading WR Davante Adams to the Raiders.

“Whenever you lose a player the caliber of Tae, you’re going to have to overcome it,” Gutekunst said, via Packers Wire. “I think we struggled out of the gate to do that. At the same time, that room, in particular, looks pretty bright moving forward.” 

Gutekunst credited rookie WR Christian Watson from not only recovering from an injury but coming back and becoming one of the team’s most productive receivers.

“You have to give that kid a lot of credit,” Gutekunst said. “Going into camp with the surgery and having to miss that time…I give him a lot of credit for not losing faith and not losing his work ethic. Because when the opportunities presented themselves he made the most of them.”

Panthers

Panthers WR D.J. Moore said the team was shocked to hear about the release of QB Baker Mayfield.

“Yeah, it shocked the whole locker room,” Moore said, via Panthers Wire. “I seen him before Coach Wilks announced it. He told me he’s pretty upset, but I know better things is coming for him.”

Moore elaborated and said that Mayfield genuinely wanted to remain a member of the team.

“Not upset like sad,” he added. “You know when your feelings hurt. I could see that he ain’t wanna leave. But it’s a part of the business.”