NFC Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks

49ers

Regarding the 49ers’ upcoming training camp, TE George Kittle said he plans on attending despite entering the final year of his contract and in-line for a record extension. 

“Being a captain, I want to be there for my team and I need to show the right leadership skills,” Kittle said, via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. 

Kittle’s agent, Jack Bechta, said his client deserves a “special contract” and is hopeful that a deal will eventually get done. 

“George is a very special player. He needs a special contract,” Bechta said. “And those things take time for both sides. It’s a nice problem for everybody to have. At the end of the day, I trust the Niners will do the right thing and take good care of George, as they should. But I trust the process. I won’t comment where we’re at, or numbers or anything like that. But hopefully it gets done.”

Cardinals

Cardinals WR Christian Kirk is eager to return to full health this season but says that the injury has not set him back due to his ability to learn from WR DeAndre Hopkins and WR Larry Fitzgerald.

“I wouldn’t say that it sets me back by no means,” Kirk said, via Mason Kern of SI. “On the field, I think, if anything, DeAndre can can help me get there. And, for me, a lot of people could look at it as, ‘Maybe it is a setback for him,’ or ‘He won’t see as many targets,’ or whatnot. But the fact that I’m playing with arguably a first ballot Hall of Famer, arguably the best receiver to ever play the game (Fitzgerald) and then one of the best receivers, arguably the best receiver currently in the game right now (Hopkins). If those are the two guys in front of me that I’m learning from and following in their footsteps, then I have no problem with that because they’re ultimately in the same position that I want to be in. So, why not be able to play next to and be able to work and follow and just be able to mirror what they do every single day? I think that’s an advantage toward me. I don’t see it as being a disadvantage for me or maybe pushing that process back.”

Seahawks

• Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said that they QB Russell Wilson to have more opportunities in the passing game moving forward: “Russell is at the best of his game that he’s ever been. And in that, we want him to have more opportunities to be the factor of the game and control the game. But that doesn’t mean you throw the football all the time to do that.” (Stacy Rost)