NFC Rumors: 49ers, Cardinals, Kliff Kingsbury, Rams, Sean McVay

49ers

49ers WR Deebo Samuel (knee, ankle) said he isn’t pushing himself to play in Week 18 and wants to be sure he’s ready for the playoffs. 

“Not necessarily trying to push [to play this weekend],” Samuel said, via 49ersWebZone. “I’m not going to risk myself. If I’m not 100 percent ready to go, I’m not going to go out there.”

Samuel thought that he was done for the season after being carted off of the field in Week 14. 

“I thought I was done,” Samuel said. “I’ve never been in a position like that in my 15 years playing. It was kind of a scary scene, but just knowing that I came out of it is just crazy.”

Samuel believes that the ankle surgery he underwent while in college helped prevent more extensive damage this time around. 

“It kind of protected my left leg a lot,” Samuel said. “But after getting the [MRI] results, I thanked God that I was able to come out of that and able to continue to play the game this year, and all praise to the most high.”

• Albert Breer thinks there’s a case the Texans move on from HC Lovie Smith and target Eagles DC Jonatvhan Gannon, 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans, or former Dolphins HC Brian Flores.

Cardinals

• Albert Breer of SI.com says that things remain in flux in regard to the Cardinals and where they’re headed as an organization.
• Breer isn’t ruling out the possibility of GM Steve Keim, who is currently on health-related leave, sticking with the team in some capacity after his leave is up.
• According to Breer, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill is strongly considering promoting VP of player personnel Quentin Harris and VP of pro scouting Adrian Wilson into co-GM roles.
• Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury‘s future remains uncertain and Breer could see this going either way. Should the Cardinals move on from Kliff, Breer expects DC Vance Joseph to be “a lead candidate, if not the lead candidate to replace him.”

Rams

Rams HC Sean McVay is flattered about the possibility of becoming an analyst in the future but feels that being in Los Angeles with his team is his current focus.

“I know I love football and I’m so invested in this thing and I’m in the moment right now,” McVay said, via Sarah Barshop in ESPN. “But at some point, too, if you said what do you want to be able to do? I want to be able to have a family and I want to be able to spend time with them.”

“I don’t know if you necessarily look at it like that as much as just … I am going to be open and honest about the things because you care so much,” McVay added. “And it’s being able to be honest with those things. I think that acknowledgment helps me work through it. It doesn’t mean that it changes the passion and the love that you have for it.”