NFC West Notes: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said while he’d prefer if K Robbie Gould was around, as long as the veteran shows up by Week 1, he’s happy.

“If he doesn’t want to show up until Week 1, it is what it is,” Shanahan said via the Athletic’s Matt Barrows. “I’ll take a very good kicker any time, whether it’s Week 1 or … just one play before we have to kick. Robbie’s a hell of a kicker and nothing’s changed on that. I just hope he shows up by the time we play Week 1.”

• Shanahan says he believes 49ers RB Jerick McKinnon and QB Jimmy Garoppolo have a “very good chance” of being recovered enough from their ACL tears to be ready for the start of training camp. (Matt Barrows)

Rams

While there was a lot of buzz last year about Rams LT Andrew Whitworth retiring, he says that his mind wasn’t necessarily made up. 

“It was one of those things where I felt like win or lose, it seemed like it was in people’s heads that if I won, that was it,” Whitworth said, via the Orange County Register. “Where in my mind, I’m thinking, if we win, that would only inspire me to go play another one. I really had a desire to finish my contract and finish what I signed up to do.”

While she admits she was wrong about Whitworth calling it a career last year, his wife, Melissa, thinks this will likely be his final year in the NFL. 

“I think it’s more likely than not that this [season] will be it,” Melissa Whitworth said. “But if you would’ve asked me last December what I thought, I would’ve told you it’s 100 percent he’s retiring. I was wrong then. So who knows?”

Seahawks

Seahawks S Bradley McDougald said he played through a lot of pain last year including a partially torn patellar tendon.

“Since the Lions game, I was having trouble,” McDougald said in an interview with Sports Radio KJR, via Pro Football Talk. “I was playing through a lot of pain and a lot of grief. I feel like I’m in a much better situation now, much more comfortable. The knee feels good, my body feels good.”

“I’m fully prepared to come in and play strong safety, really compete and battle with whoever,” McDougald said. “I can do both, but I prefer to play in the box and closer to the line of scrimmage. There’s just more for me to do there in the run game and the man-to-man coverages. But I’m always willing to do whatever to make the team work and be the best asset for the team. But I definitely intend to play in the box.”