McCaffrey missed the first eight games of the season with Achilles tendinitis and then went down with a right knee injury that sidelined him for the final five games.

“I’m feeling great,” McCaffrey said Tuesday on the first day of the offseason program for the 49ers. “It’s been such a smooth process, a lot of hard work. As soon as that injury happened in Buffalo, this was my goal to not miss a day of OTAs, be back ready to go with nothing hindering me. That’s where I’m at.”

McCaffrey said he was fully healed from the Achilles injury and the posterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in Buffalo on Dec. 1 by early in the offseason and was able to train at “full speed.”

It’s been an eventful offseason for McCaffrey, with his wife, Olivia Culpo, expecting the couple’s first child.

Related Story: Brock Purdy Reports to 49ers Spring Camp, but Where Is George Kittle?

Frustrating 2024 Season

That follows the frustrating 2024 season. McCaffrey injured his Achilles tendon early in training camp and missed the first eight games of the season. He rushed for just 202 yards on 50 carries in four games before getting hurt again as he was unable to match his sensational 2023 season.

McCaffrey won the AP Offensive Player of the Year that season after leading the NFL with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and tying for the league lead with 21 touchdowns.

McCaffrey had missed just one game combined in 2022-23 — a meaningless Week 18 game in the 2023 season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf — after missing 23 games because of injuries in his final two full seasons with Carolina.

Warner Says He’s in Good Health, Too

Niners star linebacker Fred Warner said he has fully recovered from a broken bone in his ankle that hampered him for most of last season. Warner played through the injury without missing any games and earned his third straight All-Pro honors.

I feel great. Ankle’s a thing of the past now, thank God, because that was tough, trying to deal with that all season. But I feel great now.

“I feel great,” he said. “The ankle injury is a thing of the past.”

NOTES: DL Evan Anderson, DL Alex Barrett, LB Jalen Graham and TE Brayden Willis signed their one-year exclusive rights contracts. … Dustin Perry has been prompted to vice president of player health and performance. Perry is entering his ninth season with the 49ers and was the team’s head strength and conditioning coach the past six seasons.

The post Great News for 49ers: Christian McCaffrey Says He’s Fully Healed appeared first on GV Wire.

Purdy and Kittle are entering the final years of their contracts and are seeking extensions, leading to speculation about whether they would report for the offseason program.

A person familiar with the situation confirmed that Purdy reported to the team facility on Tuesday and that Kittle had not. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t made any announcement.

The Niners have had offseason contract disputes last deep into the summer the past three seasons. Deebo Samuel missed the first few training camp practices in 2022 before signing an extension, while Nick Bosa didn’t get his deal done in 2023 until just days before the season opener, and Brandon Aiyuk missed all of training camp practice last summer waiting for a new deal.

Purdy said at the end of the season in January that he hoped to have a new deal done before the start of the offseason program. That hasn’t happened yet but he chose not to hold out as he tries to help the Niners rebound from a 6-11 season.

Related Story: Owner Jed York says 49ers Will ‘Do Everything’ to Keep QB Brock ...

Purdy and Kittle Salary Situations

Purdy has made less than $1 million a year for his first three seasons and is set to get a small raise in 2025 to about $5.2 million under the league’s proven performance escalator for making the Pro Bowl last season.

But Purdy’s play has far exceeded that salary and he is eligible this offseason to negotiate an extension for the first time and could be in line for a contract that will pay him in excess of $50 million a year.

After finishing fourth in MVP voting in his first full season as a starter in 2023, Purdy was far less productive last season as injuries to several key playmakers had a major impact on the Niners offense.

Purdy’s passer rating dropped nearly 17 points to 96.1, he had only 20 TD passes and 12 interceptions on the season, and also came up short in several late-game scenarios when the 49ers had a chance for a comeback win.

But the belief in Purdy from the organization remains as strong as it has been from owner Jed York, to general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan.

The 31-year-old Kittle is entering the final year of a five-year, $75 million extension that he signed in 2020. He is owed $14.4 million in base salary for this season. The tight end market got re-set this offseason when Arizona signed Trey McBride to a $76 million, four-year extension for the highest annual value for any tight end.

Kittle was a second-team All-Pro last season when he had 78 catches for 1,106 yards and eight TDs. Since being drafted in the fifth round in 2017, Kittle has been a first or second-team All-Pro five times in eight seasons and has 538 catches for 7,380 yards and 45 TDs.

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Instead of looking mostly for depth or filling a few small holes, the Niners might need to come away with several immediate starters from this year’s draft if they want to rebound from a 6-11 season.

“We’ve gone into drafts these last few years, not as much last year, but especially the two years prior to where you look at our board, and it’s like, ’Man, we don’t really have to find a starter anywhere,” coach Kyle Shanahan said at the league meetings earlier this month. “You’ve got to find depth because quickly there’s a starter with an injury. I remember going into it three years ago and felt the only starting position we could find was a kicker because we were so solidified.”

That’s definitely not the case this year after the 49ers lost more than a half-dozen starters from a year ago early in the offseason, creating significant holes on both sides of the ball because of a lack of recent draft hits.

San Francisco traded away three first-round picks to draft quarterback Trey Lance third overall in 2021, contributing to the lack of young talent and missed on recent day two picks such as Drake Jackson, Cameron Latu, Danny Gray and Tyrion Davis-Price.

Need

The Niners have several needs with the biggest coming on the defensive line after the team cut defensive end Leonard Floyd and defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins in cost-saving moves. That leaves few proven options outside of Nick Bosa.

San Francisco also lost linebacker Dre Greenlaw, cornerback Charvarius Ward, and safety Talanoa Hufanga on defense. And receiver Deebo Samuel, guard Aaron Banks and running back Jordan Mason on offense.

While there are some internal candidates to fill those spots, San Francisco could look for help in the draft as well at all of those spots and at backup running back.

Don’t Need

There are few spots that are totally set but San Francisco seems to be in good shape at tight end after signing blocker Luke Farrell to back up George Kittle and at quarterback where Mac Jones was signed as Brock Purdy’s backup.

Strength in Numbers

The Niners come into the draft tied for the most picks with 11. Along with the 11th pick in the first round, San Francisco has extra picks in the third, fourth and fifth rounds and two additional picks in the seventh thanks to compensatory picks and trades. The 49ers have no picks in the sixth round.

San Francisco has fared well on day three of the draft under GM John Lynch and Shanahan, finding gems such as Kittle, Greenlaw, Purdy, Hufanga, Jauan Jennings and Deommodore Lenoir over the years.

Recent Drafts

The haul from last year’s draft seems promising after third-rounder Dominick Puni became a solid day one starter at right guard and receiver Ricky Pearsall, cornerback Renardo Green, safety Malik Mustapha and running back Isaac Guerendo all made contributions as rookies.

That’s in stark contract to the previous few years when Purdy and 2023 third-round safety Ji’Ayir Brown the only hits so far.

Possible First-Round Pick

With the glaring needs on the defensive line, that seems to be the obvious target for San Francisco with interior players such as Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Walter Nolen, or edge rushers such as Mike Green, Shemar Stewart or Mykel Williams possibilities.

But don’t rule out offensive line if the Niners believe they can find someone to step in immediately at guard with a long-term plan to replace star Trent Williams at tackle down the road. Some possibilities there could include players such as Will Campbell, Armand Membou, and Kelvin Banks Jr. in the mix.

The post 49ers Look to Strengthen Depleted Defense in NFL Draft appeared first on GV Wire.

Purdy’s contract extension is one of the main items on the offseason to-do list for San Francisco. He is nearing the end of one of the NFL’s biggest bargains for the 49ers, with one year left on the rookie deal he signed as the last pick of the 2022 draft.

“We have started negotiations,” Lynch said Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. “We’re talking. I won’t go into negotiations like always is our stance. I want Brock to be our quarterback as long as we’re here and beyond and we’ll leave it at that.”

Purdy has made less than $1 million a year for his first three seasons and is set to get a small raise in 2025 to about $5.2 million under the league’s proven performance escalator for making the Pro Bowl last season.

But Purdy’s play has far exceeded that salary and he is now eligible to negotiate an extension for the first time and could be in line for a contract that will pay him in excess of $50 million a year.

After finishing fourth in MVP voting in his first full season as a starter in 2023, Purdy was far less productive this season as injuries to several key playmakers had a major impact on the Niners offense.

Purdy’s passer rating dropped nearly 17 points to 96.1, he had only 20 TD passes and 12 interceptions on the season, and also came up short in several late-game scenarios when the 49ers had a chance for a comeback win.

But the belief in Purdy from the organization remains as strong as it has been and Purdy has talked about his desire to remain in San Francisco.

“The final thing is there’s no guarantee we get something done,” Lynch said. “My experience has been when both sides are motivated there’s ample opportunity to do so and we’ve been able to do that.”

Lynch addressed several other topics during his availability on Wednesday:

Deebo Samuel’s Trade Request

Lynch confirmed that the Niners have given receiver Deebo Samuel permission to seek a trade after a disappointing 2024 season.

Samuel made the request in a season-ending meeting with Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan and the Niners have had talks with other teams about a possible deal.

“We’re on good terms with Deebo,” Lynch said. “He’s asked for a fresh start and I think we’re going to honor that. I don’t like seeing great players leave and he is a great player. … He makes plays and he makes game-changing plays.”

After an All-Pro season in 2021 with 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns in 2021, Samuel’s production has dropped after he signed a three-year, $71.6 million extension the following offseason that runs through the 2025 season.

Samuel had 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns and averaged only 3.2 yards on his 42 carries as he dealt with some injuries last season. Samuel hasn’t reached 900 yards receiving in a season since the breakthrough 2021 campaign.

Injury Updates

Lynch had positive news on the status of stars Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams, who missed significant time with injuries last season. He said that McCaffrey is doing “great” in his recovery from a season-ending knee injury that sidelined him in Week 13 and he should be ready for at least part of the offseason program.

McCaffrey, who will turn 29 in June, played only four games last season after missing the first half with Achilles tendinitis.

Williams missed the final seven games last season with an ankle injury but is committed to returning in 2025 at age 37. Williams has been one of the top left tackles in the NFL since joining San Francisco in 2020 and is a key cog in the Niners’ offense.

“Trent is playing. He’s is ready,” Lynch said. “He’s really motivated to come back.”

Brian Griese’s Departure

The Niners had a bit of a surprise when it was announced on Tuesday that Mick Lombardi was being promoted from senior offensive assistant to quarterbacks coach to replace Brian Griese.

Griese held that role for the past three seasons and played a key role in the drafting and development of Purdy. Lynch said Griese left to spend more time with his family.

“He had given it some thought on the front end and at the time he gave us a three-year commitment,” Lynch said.

“He’s a very principled guy. … I don’t want to speak for Brian, but other things were pulling at him and respect that he made a tough decision but one he thought was best for him and his family.”

The post 49ers Start Contract Talks With Purdy, Let Samuel Seek Trade appeared first on GV Wire.

York said he recently saw Purdy’s agent, Kyle Strongin, and remains hopeful a deal can be reached.

“I know we want Brock to be here for a long time and we’ll do everything we can to make that work,” York said Monday.

York spoke briefly after a ceremony passing on the responsibility of hosting a Super Bowl from New Orleans to the San Francisco Bay area. The game is returning to the Niners’ home at Levi’s Stadium for the second time after the team previously hosted the Super Bowl in February 2016.

After three seasons with long playoff runs, including an overtime loss in last year’s Super Bowl to Kansas City, the 49ers had a disappointing season in 2024 with a slew of injuries and poor play leading to a 6-11 record.

San Francisco Hosts the Next Super Bowl

But with a core in place featuring Purdy and stars like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, the Niners believe they have the talent to compete for the chance to play the Super Bowl at home next season.

York is confident that coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch will do what it takes to turn the team around.

“There’s so much work before you get to that point,” he said. “Obviously it started at the end of the season to get this thing ready and get this thing right and get this thing back on track. There’s no one that I respect more and trust more than John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan to get us back on track.”

Purdy’s contract extension is one of the main items on the offseason to-do list for San Francisco. He is nearing the end of one of the NFL’s biggest bargains for the 49ers, with one year left on the rookie deal he signed as the last pick of the 2022 draft.

Purdy Made Under $1 Million Each of First Three Seasons

Purdy has made less than $1 million a year for his first three seasons and is set to get a small raise in 2025 to about $5.2 million under the league’s proven performance escalator for making the Pro Bowl last season.

But Purdy’s play has far exceeded that salary and he is now eligible to negotiate an extension for the first time and could be in line for a contract that will pay him in excess of $50 million a year.

After finishing fourth in MVP voting in his first full season as a starter in 2023, Purdy was far less productive this season as injuries to several key playmakers had a major impact on the Niners offense.

Purdy’s passer rating dropped nearly 17 points to 96.1, he had only 20 TD passes and 12 interceptions on the season, and also came up short in several late-game scenarios when the 49ers had a chance for a comeback win.

But the belief in Purdy as an organization remains as strong as it has been.

“Brock is just a tremendous human being,” York said. “I’m looking forward to a long-term partnership.”

The post Owner Jed York says 49ers Will ‘Do Everything’ to Keep QB Brock Purdy appeared first on GV Wire.

Shanahan fired special teams coordinator Brian Schneider following a season in which mistakes in the kicking game contributed to a 6-11 record. He found a proven option in Boyer that he hopes can provide needed improvement to a unit that finished last in the league in expected points added on special teams and near the bottom of nearly all efficiency stats involved with the kicking game.

The 53-year-old Boyer ran the special teams for the Jets for the past nine seasons under three different full-time head coaches.

Boyer’s Record of Success

Boyer led a special teams unit that ranked tied for second with nine touchdowns scored, second with eight blocked punts, and tied for fifth in kick return coverage. He coached two All-Pro returners and three players who made the Pro Bowl for their work on special teams.

Boyer served as an assistant special teams coach for Indianapolis from 2012-15 before joining the Jets and played 11 seasons in the NFL.

Related Story: Former Central Star Worthy Comes Up Big for Super Bowl Bound Chiefs

Special Teams Hurt the 49ers

Mistakes on special teams played big roles in some key losses for San Francisco last season, including a Week 3 defeat against the Rams when San Francisco allowed a fake punt that fueled a scoring drive, missed a field goal that could have put the game away late and gave up a long punt return that set up a game-winning field goal.

But the problems were persistent all season, with San Francisco having a punt blocked, giving up a kickoff return for a touchdown and committing three turnovers on returns. The Niners allowed a successful fake punt again in a season-ending loss at Arizona.

The biggest issues on special teams were the struggles of second-year kicker Jake Moody, who went 5 for 14 on field goals from at least 40 yards in the final nine games after he returned from an ankle injury.

San Francisco used a third-round pick on Moody in 2023 and he had an up-and-down rookie season.

49ers Bring Back Saleh, Look to Hire OC

The Niners are undergoing major changes on Shanahan’s coaching staff. Robert Saleh was hired last week for a second stint as defensive coordinator after spending three-plus seasons as head coach of the Jets, where he worked closely with Boyer.

San Francisco also is interviewing candidates for the offensive coordinator spot that has been vacant since Mike McDaniel left following the 2021 season to become head coach in Miami. Passing game specialist Klay Kubiak is expected to get promoted to that role.

The post 49ers Hire New Coach to Oversee Struggling Special Teams appeared first on GV Wire.

Both sides would like to get a long-term extension done with Purdy as soon as possible and not have the contract talks still hanging over the team when the offseason program begins in mid-April.

“I think what we know about Brock is that he’s our guy,” general manager John Lynch said Wednesday. “We have interest in Brock being around here for a long, long time. He’s done so much for our organization, he’s won big games. Had a little tougher task, as we all did, this year with some of the things that happened throughout the course of the year. … We’ll have some time here in the coming weeks to sit together and put our whole plan together. That’s obviously a priority, that position, and we’ll give it that attention.”

Related Story: 49ers Fire Defensive Coordinator Nick Sorensen, AP Source Says

Purdy’s Contract Situation

Purdy is nearing the end of one of the NFL’s biggest bargains for the 49ers, with one year left on the rookie deal he signed as the last pick of the 2022 draft. Purdy has made less than $1 million a year for his first three seasons and is set to get a small raise in 2025 to about $5.2 million in 2025 under the league’s proven performance escalator for making the Pro Bowl last season.

But Purdy’s play has far exceeded that salary and he is now eligible to negotiate an extension for the first time and could be in line for a contract that will pay him in excess of $50 million a year.

Purdy said Monday that he’s not looking to reset the market at the position where Dallas’ Dak Prescott has the highest average annual salary at $60 million a year. He said he has no interest in leaving San Francisco and stressed the importance of getting the deal done before the start of the offseason program.

“Everybody’s different, just with the timing of getting something done,” Purdy said. “For me, I want to obviously get it done. If that’s an opportunity to be able to get that done quick, that’d be great. Just so we can get back for phase one, get after it with the receivers and our team, and just continue to grow because we’ve all got to grow together. We’ve got to come close and learn and be the best version of ourselves.”

Related Story: The 49ers Fire Special Teams Coordinator Brian Schneider, AP Source Says

Purdy’s Performance and Future

After finishing fourth in MVP voting in his first full season as a starter in 2023, Purdy was far less productive this season as injuries to playmakers such as Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk had a major impact on the Niners offense.

Purdy’s passer rating dropped nearly 17 points to 96.1, he had only 20 TD passes and 12 INTs on the season, and also came up short in several late-game scenarios when the 49ers had a chance for a comeback win.

But Purdy also grew as a leader, showed off more mobility to extend plays and solidified himself as the team’s long-term plan at quarterback.

“I’ve loved these three years with Brock,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I plan on being with Brock here the whole time I’m here. Brock’s been a stud. He’s a guy I’ve got a lot of confidence in just as a human, but it starts with what he’s done in the field these last 2 1/2 years. We’re capable of winning a Super Bowl with him. We just almost did. And I know he is capable of getting the Niners a Super Bowl in the future.”

Related Story: 49ers End Season 6-11 as Kyler Murray Shreds Their Secondary

Coaching Staff Changes

The Niners have already made some significant moves on the coaching staff, firing defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen and special teams coordinator Brian Schneider.

Shanahan said it was a tough decision to fire Sorensen after one season, but he felt there were people available who would be a “better option.”

The Niners have run a similar defensive system for years, but Shanahan said he’s open to the possibility of changes with a new coordinator.

“I love the scheme that we’ve had here. I think it’s one of the hardest things to go to when you’ve got the right guys in the right spots,” Shanahan said. “But, I do think people adjust to schemes, and I think you have to adjust too depending on your personnel.”

Shanahan said he would like to be able to keep Sorensen on staff in another role, if he’s interested, with special teams coordinator a possibility after he held that role in Jacksonville in 2021.

The 49ers also plan to promote passing game specialist Klay Kubiak to offensive coordinator with Shanahan still serving as the play caller. The move will prevent other teams from being able to poach Kubiak for a coordinator job.

Free Agency Decisions

Lynch said a contract restructure earlier in the season on defensive tackle Javon Hargrave was made with the intention of cutting him at the start of the new league year with a post-June 1 designation to spread out the dead cap hit over the next two seasons. The Niners could still try to bring Hargrave back on a cheaper deal if his market isn’t robust.

Lynch said the team has no plans to cut ties with receiver Deebo Samuel, who struggled for much of this season and is entering the final year of his contract.

Shanahan said the team would like to be able to retain linebacker Dre Greenlaw, but it will depend on what his market is in free agency.

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The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move hadn’t been announced.

The Niners are making significant changes to their coaching staff after going 6-11 this season and missing playoffs. Special teams coordinator Brian Schneider also was fired on Tuesday, the person said on condition of anonymity because that hadn’t been announced either.

Related Story: The 49ers Fire Special Teams Coordinator Brian Schneider, AP Source Says

Third Defensive Coordinator Change in Three Years

This is the third straight offseason that San Francisco will change defensive coordinators, starting when DeMeco Ryans left following the 2022 season to take over as head coach for Houston.

Steve Wilks was hired last season and helped San Francisco reach the Super Bowl but was fired anyway, with coach Kyle Shanahan saying his scheme wasn’t a good fit with the Niners’ players.

Shanahan then promoted Sorensen into the role after he had spent the previous two seasons working mostly with the secondary and running the team’s weekly meetings focused on creating and avoiding turnovers.

Related Story: 49ers End Season 6-11 as Kyler Murray Shreds Their Secondary

Sorensen wasn’t able to get the defense back to the level it reached under Ryans. San Francisco ranked 29th in the league in scoring defense, allowing 25.6 points per game, and was tied for the seventh fewest takeaways with 17.

The Niners had just two takeaways over the final nine games and ended the season allowing at least 40 points in back-to-back games for the first time since 2015.

Injuries played a role in the struggles with key players like Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga all missing time.

The post 49ers Fire Defensive Coordinator Nick Sorensen, AP Source Says appeared first on GV Wire.

Related Story: 49ers End Season 6-11 as Kyler Murray Shreds Their Secondary

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the firing.

ESPN first reported the move.

Related Story: Purdy’s Elbow Injury Adds to 49ers’ Woes. MRI Is Coming Up.

Schneider’s Tenure and Special Teams Struggles

Schneider finished his third season in San Francisco and this one was clearly the worst as the Niners finished last in the league in expected points added on special teams and near the bottom of nearly all efficiency stats involved with the kicking game.

The 49ers finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs.

Mistakes on special teams played big roles in some key losses, including a Week 3 defeat against the Rams when San Francisco allowed a fake punt that fueled a scoring drive, missed a field goal that could have put the game away late and gave up a long punt return that set up a game-winning field goal.

But the problems were persistent all season with San Francisco having a punt blocked, giving up a kickoff return for a touchdown, and committing three turnovers on returns over the course of the season. The Niners allowed a successful fake punt again in a season-ending loss at Arizona on Sunday.

Related Story: Brock Purdy’s Production Plummets. Is He Still the 49ers’ Franchise ...

Kicker Jake Moody’s Struggles

The biggest issues on special teams were the struggles of second-year kicker Jake Moody. San Francisco used a third-round pick on Moody in 2023 and he had an up-and-down rookie season.

He made 21 of 25 field goals in the regular season and missing only one extra point. But he missed a potential game-winning kick in a loss at Cleveland and missed field goals in playoff wins against Green Bay and Detroit.

Moody then made three field goals in the Super Bowl with two coming from more than 50 yards, including a go-ahead 53-yard kick late in the fourth quarter against Kansas City. But Moody also had an extra point blocked in that game.

Things fell apart this season with Moody missing a late kick in the loss to the Rams and then losing all confidence when he returned from a high ankle sprain. He went 5 for 14 on FGs from at least 40 yards in nine games following the injury.

The post The 49ers Fire Special Teams Coordinator Brian Schneider, AP Source Says appeared first on GV Wire.

Arizona hopes that’s just a preview of what’s coming next season.

“He’s only going to get better,” Murray said of Harrison, the No. 4 overall pick. “We’re only going to get better.”

Murray threw for 242 yards and four touchdowns, two to Greg Dortch, and the Cardinals wrapped up an 8-9 season. Arizona won four more games than last year, but still missed the playoffs for a third straight season.

San Francisco (6-11) lost seven of its final eight, missing the postseason one year after losing the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Related Story: Purdy’s Elbow Injury Adds to 49ers’ Woes. MRI Is Coming Up.

Cardinals Take Control in Second Half

The Cardinals led throughout the second half and took a 33-24 lead with 14:16 left in the fourth quarter when Michael Carter sneaked into the end zone just inside the left pylon for a 2-yard touchdown. Arizona put the game away with 5:47 left on Murray’s pass to Harrison that made it 40-24.

Tony Jones Jr. ran for a 46-yard touchdown to conclude the scoring and give Arizona its highest point total since 2015.

“We didn’t accomplish what we wanted to accomplish this year and that stings,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “But I’m proud of them. I really am. They fought, they battled. … To put that kind of effort against the 49ers, a well-coached, tough, physical team, I thought that was cool to see.”

Harrison finished with eight TD catches, tying the franchise’s rookie record held by Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

Related Story: Brock Purdy’s Production Plummets. Is He Still the 49ers’ Franchise ...

49ers Struggle with Backup QB

Joshua Dobbs — starting for the 49ers in the place of injured Brock Purdy — threw for 326 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He hit wide-open fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a 36-yard TD with 4:49 left in the third quarter to cut the Cardinals’ advantage to 26-24.

But Dobbs had a pair of costly mistakes in the fourth quarter, losing a fumble on one drive and throwing an interception on the next. The quarterback played for the Cardinals during the first half of last season, starting eight games while Murray was rehabbing a knee injury.

“Through three quarters we battled,” Dobbs said. “But the turnovers kind of killed us. That was the difference in the game.”

Related Story: Lions Head Into NFC Title Game Rematch vs. 49ers Seeking Top Seed

First Half Highlights

Chad Ryland made a 49-yard field goal as the first half ended to give the Cardinals a 20-17 lead. The drive took only 16 seconds. San Francisco had just tied the game at 17-all when Ricky Pearsall made a tough catch in traffic for a 6-yard touchdown.

Tight end Trey McBride — who earned his first Pro Bowl nod earlier this week — caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Murray with 1:51 left in the second quarter. McBride caught 111 passes this season, shattering his own franchise record for a tight end.

Arizona took a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter when Murray hit Dortch for a 23-yard touchdown. Dortch caught a short pass and then weaved his way through the 49ers’ defense, scoring his second touchdown of the year. His second touchdown of the game came in the third quarter on a 2-yard catch that made it 26-17.

“They wore us down and got it going,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We couldn’t get them off the field.”

Jake Moody made a 51-yard field goal on the game’s opening drive to give the 49ers a 3-0 advantage. That would be their only lead.

Ejections and Injuries

Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings were ejected in the second quarter after getting into a scuffle. The ejections came one play after Jennings and Cardinals cornerback Starling Thomas V were called for a personal fouls after their tussle on the other side of the field.

Jennings finished with 975 yards receiving in the most productive season of his four-year career. Murphy-Bunting had an interception earlier in the first half.

49ers: Purdy (elbow) and WR Deebo Samuel (ribs/wrist) were inactive. … RB Issac Guerendo (knee/ankle) was carted off the field early in the first quarter. … S Malik Mustapha (knee) was hurt in the second quarter. … S Talanoa Hufanga (concussion) was ruled out early in the third quarter.

Cardinals: WR Michael Wilson (hamstring) and LB Victor Dimukeje (eye) were inactive. … CB Max Melton (wrist) left in the first half.

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