NFC Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks

49ers

• Mike Garafolo reports that 49ers QB Brock Purdy could still be ready for Week 1 of the 2023 season despite postponing his UCL surgery due to inflammation.

Cardinals

Plenty of coaches talk about being adaptable and game-planning around the strength of their players. Far fewer actually walk the walk. New Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon wants to be one of the few who are truly adaptable, and he cites his varied background as coach. Gannon has experience in a wide variety of different coaching trees — “I have no scheme” is how he puts it — but the philosophy he relates to most is what Patriots HC Bill Belichick does.  

“The affinity I have for Belichick and Josh—80% of the people in the NFL right now just play their stuff, and they really don’t give a damn about who they’re playing or matchups, or, they’re just concentrated on their stuff,” Gannon said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “Like if this is my scheme, this is what I do. Twenty percent of people in the NFL structure, they game-plan with their players and their opponent in mind. So that’s what I mean by adaptability, like we look different each week. It could be the same structures or it could be some of the same coverages, but we’re doing different things. I take the menu, and we got enough in our book where you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. But that’s what I mean by adapting.”

As far as what led him to Arizona, Gannon cited the chance to be a head coach and the opportunity to work with QB Kyler Murray. But he also talked about how important the chance to team up with new GM Monti Ossenfort was after the two hit it off last summer knowing they might be in this position. 

“His vision of how to build a winning program is what excited me about talking to Monti,” Gannon said. “Honestly, he believes in what I believe in, about players, how to build a roster, about intangibles, about between-the-margin positions, premium positions, how to sustain with roster turnover and who to pay, who not to pay, how to deal with rookie contracts, all of that. I really feel like we hit it off in the summer. His vision for how to be the GM fit with my vision of who I wanted to pair up.”

• Jeremy Fowler reports that Northwestern CB coach Ryan Smith is taking the same role with the Cardinals.
• Tom Pelissero reports that the Cardinals are hiring veteran assistant Ben Steele as their TE coach.
• Matt Zenitz reports that the Cardinals are also expected to hire Florida TE coach William Peagler.

Seahawks

• PFF’s Ari Meirov reports Seahawks G Phil Haynes‘ one-year deal is worth $4 million and he could earn an additional $1 million through incentives. 
• Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times considers Haynes’ contract to be “starter money” given he’s currently the second-most expensive contract for offensive linemen on the team in 2023 behind Gabe Jackson. 
• The Seahawks announced that they had signed LB Nick Bellore to a two-year extension.