49ers

Coming off a year where 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey had five games with at least 30 touches, HC Kyle Shanahan has talked about reducing the star’s workload as he ages. McCaffrey said he obviously doesn’t want the ball less, but he’s still preparing his body to be ready to handle 35 touches a game. 

“Look, nobody ever wants to hear that you’re going to get the ball less,” McCaffrey said, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic. “But … no coach has ever planned how many touches I get. I’ve never had that conversation with any one of my coaches that we want to give you this many touches.”

“That’s like telling a 3-point shooter that we only want you to shoot five 3s this game. You just don’t do that.”

“It’s probably a load management thing for them more than anything. But my job is not to focus on that at all. It’s just to be ready for 10 touches or 35, whatever the game calls for. … So when (Shanahan) says that stuff, I don’t get mad at all.”

McCaffrey says he’s had heavy workload seasons where he felt rough after and some he felt great after, making it all about how he prepares mixed with some luck.

“Sometimes you can get through a season with 400-plus touches and feel great, and sometimes you might only put in three games and you feel terrible. I’ve experienced both. And so, for me, it’s all about how you prepare, and then you have to be very blessed to stay healthy. Football’s a very brutal sport.”

49ers OC Klay Kubiak knows McCaffrey never wants to come out, but they have discussed how other backs in the league get some plays off and it ends up benefitting their snaps. 

“You’re talking about a player who does not want to come off the field,” Kubiak said. “But when you look around the league and you study great backs and study guys who affect the game like he does, those guys do come out of the game. Those guys do get a blow, whether it’s a drive or a couple plays in a series, and it helps those players.”

“Christian knows that, and we’ve got to do a better job as coaches of getting a better rotation. It’s something that’s got to be at the forefront of our minds.”

Cardinals 

The Cardinals signed veteran QB Gardner Minshew to a one-year deal back in March. When asked if he expects to compete for the starting job, Minshew responded that he’s just trying to get reps and help the team. 

“I don’t know, man,” Minshew said, via Doug Haller of The Athletic. “I’m getting the reps I’m getting right now, trying to do the best I can, trying to help our team.”

Arizona HC Mike LaFleur said Minshew brings a lot of experience and can always step up in a pinch. 

“He knows the game,” LaFleur said. “He’s been around a lot of different systems. He’s been asked to do a lot. You think about what we’re doing compared to, let’s just say, Philly when he was there and backing up Jalen Hurts, and then Jalen goes down, and he’s running that system. He’s been a part of all this.”

Minshew is just excited for his new opportunity with the Cardinals and hopes to earn the respect of those around him. 

“At the end of the day, I want to be a quarterback that wins in this league,” Minshew said. “I want to win at a high level, play at a high level. I think that’s everybody’s goal as a quarterback. I’m excited to be here with an opportunity and a great group of guys around me.”

Rams

The Rams pulled off the biggest trade of the offseason by going all-in for star edge rusher Myles Garrett. Since he had to waive his no-trade clause to make the deal happen, Garrett was clear that his top priority has always been winning.

“Since the very beginning, it’s always been about winning. It just breaks down to the timing of everything,” Garrett said, via Nick Shook of NFL.com. “What does it realistically look like to be a winner now? And to have an opportunity to do that immediately, that was an opportunity that was too difficult to pass up. I always have love in my heart for Cleveland, the city and the community, all the players and everything else. But the opportunity to come here and have an immediate and profound impact on this team, it was something I just had to move forward with.”

Garrett noted the increased pass rush opportunities also factored into the decision, knowing he will be able to have chances to impact winning late and maybe even break his own single-season sack record. 

“I mean that did play into the decision as well. Knowing I have the ability, you know, late game to pin my ears back, not just because we need a play to be made but because we have the lead and it’s an obvious passing down. Being able to make those game-changing plays to win the game for us. Those are things that appeal to me, I’m sure appeal to all of us as D-linemen. That’s something I really look forward to.”

Even with all the talent on the roster, Garrett knows it won’t matter if they don’t put the work in every day. 

“On paper, I’m sure things look great. But we’ve got to go out there and put the work in. It starts on the field, it starts in the classroom. We’re not going to take a single day for granted, we’re not going to be looking at any odds or favorites.

“We’re going win each game day by day.”