NFC Notes: George Kittle, Geno Smith, Matthew Stafford, 49ers, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

49ers TE George Kittle addressed the two contract situations that are hanging over the team this camp, with LT Trent Williams holding out as he looks for an updated contract and WR Brandon Aiyuk holding in while he guns for an extension. 

“[Williams] is the best left tackle probably to ever play the game, so he’ll be fine whenever he shows up,” Kittle said via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “BA, we’d love to have him out there, understand what he’s going through. I don’t know if it’s hard for us to build our identity [without them], but what it does allow us to do is let these [other] guys take opportunities they would not have gotten if he was out there. And hey, it’s more targets for me and Christian [McCaffrey] and Deebo [Samuel] so far, so we’re having a good time.”

• Fowler gets the sense the 49ers will try to rework the remaining three years on Williams’ contract in a way that satisfies him. As for Aiyuk, Fowler adds the ballooning receiver market has made things sticky, with the team not willing to meet Aiyuk’s asking price so far and talks not really going anywhere. 
• Fowler points out that trading Aiyuk would make paying Williams easier and the 49ers have a lot of hard financial decisions coming up in the next year or two anyway. 
• He mentions the 49ers love CB Deommodore Lenoir and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team try and get ahead of things by signing him to an early extension before he hits free agency in 2025. 

Rams

• A team source tells ESPN’s Dan Graziano the Rams are viewing QB Matthew Stafford‘s contract as a year-to-year proposition at this point. Stafford’s reworked deal will pay him around $40 million in 2024 but removed all guarantees from future seasons. 
• Graziano adds while Stafford played at a high level in 2023 and the Rams would love to keep him, they acknowledge they don’t know how either side is going to feel at the end of this season, with Stafford’s age and injury history possibly factoring into a retirement consideration. 
• Graziano doesn’t get the sense Stafford is angling for a new team. He adds the ballooning quarterback market might end up factoring into the Rams’ decision-making process, and mentions the team’s signing of QB Jimmy Garoppolo raised some eyebrows from other league executives as a possible insurance policy at the position.  
• Graziano notes Rams third-round RB Blake Corum has been impressive during training camp and thinks the rookie will force more of a split in the backfield with veteran RB Kyren Williams than Los Angeles had last year, when Williams got over 90 percent of the snaps when healthy. 
• Rams WR Tutu Atwell has slipped to fourth on the depth chart but Graziano points out the team still envisions a role for him and won’t ship him out for peanuts. He’s in the last year of his contract. 
• Graziano mentions while the Rams don’t typically like paying inside linebackers, they view LB Ernest Jones as a tone-setter for the defense and could make an exception. 

Seahawks

• Per Ian Rapoport, Seahawks QB Geno Smith is sat out of practice on Saturday and will be expected back early next week after undergoing tests on his knees and hip.
• Seattle HC Mike Macdonald noted Smith is “full go in practices” from this point on, per Michael-Shawn Dugar.
• Macdonald adds the center competition is open between fifth-round OL Olu Oluwatimi and Nick Harris. (Dugar)
• According to Aaron Wilson, the Seahawks signed UDFA DL Rodney Matthews to a one-year, $795k contract.