NFC Notes: Cardinals, 49ers, Rams, Seahawks

Cardinals

• Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury confirmed the two players who tested positive for COVID-19 this week, OLB Devon Kennard and CB Byron Murphy, will not play in Week 9. (Josh Weinfuss)

49ers

49ers’ HC Kyle Shanahan said team doctors told him that TE George Kittle (ankle) will be out for eight weeks but the tight end feels that he’ll be able to return faster than anticipated. 

“They told me eight weeks. Kittle says two, but that’s how he rolls. That’s why he’ll go on IR and if it’s better than what they’re saying, he’ll have a chance to come back this year, but eight weeks is eight weeks,” said Shanahan, via Adam Schefter. 

• Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated believes that with all of their injury issues, the 49ers’ should be looking to the future, including the fact that they can decide to move on from the contract of QB Jimmy Garoppolo due to the fact that his salary is not guaranteed in 2021 for $25.5 million or in 2022 for $25.6 million.
• Breer notes that while the team is certainly more comfortable with Garoppolo after seeing Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard under center, they could still make an upgrade in the draft or pick up a veteran such as Matt Ryan or Kirk Cousins.
• Breer adds that the trade of LB Kwon Alexander to the Saints’ was a salary dump at a position where the team felt comfortable with their depth as linebackers Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair are ready for bigger roles with the team.
• According to Breer, the team can use some of the money freed up in the trade to look at extensions for players such as CB Richard Sherman, T Trent Williams, CB Jason Verrett and FB Kyle Juszczyk.
• Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline has heard the 49ers still see Garoppolo as their franchise quarterback but they’ll be open to drafting a quarterback they like if one is on the board. 

Rams

• Per Stu Jackson of the team website, Rams HC Sean McVay doesn’t expect RB Darrell Henderson (thigh/quad) to miss time with the bye week to heal: “Darrell is good. His quad was bothering him. If we were at practice this week, it’d probably be later on in the week until he’s able to go. Don’t expect it to linger into Seattle.”

Seahawks

• According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Seahawks DE Carlos Dunlap agreed to a reworked deal as a part of the trade sending him to Seattle. Dunlap was due $4.59 million as a remainder of his base salary, but now will make $2 million the rest of the season and a $3 million roster bonus on the third day of the 2021 league year. 
• Regarding Dunlap, Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said: “Just getting through our first walkthrough he handled everything just right so I don’t see any restriction at all on a plan this week. … Really excited to have him out here and he’s he’s really pumped about being part of it.” (Curtis Crabtree)
• Carroll mentioned that S Jamal Adams will be a full go in practice on Wednesday: “He’s ready to go and pumped and we are too.” (Curtis Crabtree)
• Carroll said it should be “a couple months” before WR Phillip Dorsett will be able to make it back after his surgery yesterday. (Curtis Crabtree)
• The Texans declined an offer from the Seahawks for OLB Jacob Martin, who was traded to Houston last year as a part of the package for Jadeveon Clowney. (Aaron Wilson)