NFC Notes: 49ers, Cowboys, Eagles

49ers

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan addressed the decision to hire Chris Foerster as a consultant after he resigned in 2017 as the Dolphins’ offensive line coach following a video surfacing of him snorting a white powdery substance. 

“We found out about it [the video] when the whole world found out about it,” Shanahan said. “When it happened, we were as shocked as anyone, from my wife to anybody. It’s nothing I’d want to stick up for. These are extremely bad things that I know he’s not proud of, and I’m not proud of.”

Shanahan added that Foerster has taken the necessary steps in his rehabilitation from drug abuse.  

“He did something extremely stupid, and since then, he has hit rock bottom. He went to rehab for 60 days, and then he was in a 90-day outpatient rehab. For the last two years, he’s been in a 12-step program that he’s been to every single night seven days a week.”

Shanahan also described why the 49ers did not formally announce a role for Foerster after joining the organization as a consultant in 2018.

“If he was fully on our coaching staff, going to practice and going to games, I understand that it’s something that I’d have to address, but he’s not,” Shanahan said. “He’s in a consulting role. A lot of teams have consultants. I understand the ramifications of that, and why people will ask why I didn’t say anything about it.”

• Regarding 49ers’ first-round DE Nick Bosa‘s high-ankle sprain, GM John Lynch said the defensive end is “50-50” to play in Week 1 of the regular season “Nick Bosa, he’s coming along really well,” Lynch said, via KNBR. “I think truly, [him playing in] Week One, that’s, I don’t know, 50-50, but it’s going to be touch and go as to whether he makes it.”

Cowboys

Cowboys WR Devin Smith said he feared he would be unable to play football again following the torn ACL he sustained back in 2017. 

“Am I going to be able to play again?” said Smith, via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. “That was one of the things that drove me into depression a little bit, not knowing if I’d be able to play this game again.”

Smith believes his performance this preseason has proven that he can still “make plays.” 

“I think they got a little reminder that I can go out there and still make plays,” Smith said.

Cowboys WRs coach Sanjay Lal said Smith is starting to replicate what he was able to do during college at Ohio State. 

“You’re starting to see what you saw in the Ohio State film, a guy who can track the deep ball and go up and make [Randy] Moss-type plays on a contested deep ball,” said Lal.

• Regarding the Cowboys’ injuries, executive Stephen Jones said they are “very optimistic” that the team will have everyone “we would want to play” for Week 1 of the regular season: “Right now, we’re very optimistic that we’re going to have everybody available on this team that we would want to play against the Giants (Week 1). Right now, it looks like everybody’s going to be ready to go.” (Jon Machota)

Eagles

Eagles rookie WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside posted a big game on Thursday catching eight passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. 

Eagles HC Doug Pederson explained they feel Arcega-Whiteside can be an “explosive” player for them moving forward. 

“One of the things (about) J.J. is (he is) a hard worker,” Pederson said, via PhiladelphiaEagles.com. “You see it in practice every day. He comes to work every day. He wants to get better. He wants to be taught. He wants to learn. The red zone, we know he can be explosive. He was able to do that really not only there, but out in the field.”

• According to Jimmy Kempski, there is “nothing to” the trade rumors regarding Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery.