49ers

49ers QB Brock Purdy knows the team has what it takes to reach the Super Bowl, but is also big on taking nothing for granted and the idea that nothing is guaranteed in the NFL.

“You guys have seen it in years past. NFC championship, getting to the Super Bowl, being right there. How 2023 ended with that taste in our mouth and not being able to finish,” Purdy said, via NBCSports Bay Area. “Obviously, we have what it takes to go all the way and win it, that’s when we’re at full strength and good to go. But even though we are at full strength and full health, that’s not guaranteed. That’s the cool thing about the guys we have in the locker room and organization: No one just sits there and says, ‘Oh, look at our roster and how beautiful it looks.’” Guys are ready to go. When it’s said and done, we want to come back like all these guys and have rings on our fingers and celebrate those key wins and moments with the history of 49ers. That’s what’s on our mind, so we got to do it.”

Cardinals

Cardinals WR Michael Wilson is entering the final year of his contract and is set to earn a salary of $3.9 million. Wilson admitted that the situation will “dictate my offseason,” and he doesn’t want it to weigh on him mentally as they approach the season.  

“Truthfully, that whole situation isn’t going to dictate my offseason,” Wilson said, via Darren Urban of the team’s site. “That’s not something that I want to show up to the building with it on my mind. I don’t want that to affect how I show up every single day because ultimately that stuff is going to take care of itself.”

Wilson is hoping to build off of last year after finishing with 78 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns.

“What I did last year, I can’t change. That’s my resumé. That’s what we are going off of. But as soon as Week 1 starts and we’re playing against the Chargers, contract stuff, that doesn’t matter, what I did (last year) doesn’t matter. I need to make sure I’m taking care of what I can now, tomorrow, the next day after that. That’s going to help me replicate (last) season and build on it.”

Rams

There was chatter about Rams HC Sean McVay ending his coaching career to begin broadcasting following their disappointing 2022 season, when Los Angeles finished 5-12. McVay reflected on that year, saying he was considering stepping away from coaching because he “couldn’t handle losing.” 

“It took that 5-12 year where you’re really getting broken down and I almost quit coaching,” McVay said, via RamsWire. “You could use the narrative that I was going to go to media or whatever, but the truth would have been, I was quitting because I couldn’t handle the losing. There was moments you think about – it’s so crazy to me – I was counting down the days for that season to be over. Like, what a fraud.”

McVay recalled speaking to his wife about stepping away from coaching. She told him that leaving the game would be against his character. 

“I remember explaining the situation to my wife Veronika. She is so tough, so steady, so loving and considerate, but so real to me,” McVay said. “She’s so independent, born and raised in Ukraine — and you talk about real perspective from what her family has gone through and how she’s handled it. I was explaining to her, maybe I’ll step away, it’s going to be a really tough upcoming season. I had some (TV) opportunities and if I had done that, I would have conveniently hid behind that. But the reality is, I would have been quitting. I’ll never forget, I was explaining the situation to my wife. Basically, I was trying to rationalize and justify why I should do it. It’s like ‘OK, let’s step away, maybe even come back to coaching. We’re going to have a lot of tough decisions to make.’ And it coincided with her being pregnant with our oldest, Jordan. And I remember I was explaining it, and she just kind of looked at me, and it was very loving and supportive, but it was like it is only coming from your wife where it really landed the punch and she’s like, ‘You know, that never really sounded like the kind of leader you wanted to be.’”

McVay said his wife’s words hit him “like a ton of bricks.”

“And I was like, boom,” McVay said. “It landed the punch. … I remember in that moment, it hit me like a ton of bricks and I also remember thinking to myself that the most important thing I’ve always wanted to do was be a father and be a husband. And I’ll never be able to look at my little boy when he grows up and goes through adversity and say, ‘Do as I say, not as I did.’ And that was when immediately, you’re like, ‘I’ll never be able to live with myself if I did this.’ But it took a lot of work.”