SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Coach Kyle Shanahan knows it's a challenge to keep all of his playmakers involved in the San Francisco 49ers' offense after the addition of Christian McCaffrey.
Imagine how hard it is to defend a group that features McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell at running back, receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, and versatile tight end George Kittle.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco playmaker-filled offense lived up to the billing, the defense looked dominant and the 49ers delivered a message that they should be considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the NFC.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — For all the talk of how dynamic San Francisco's offense could look with Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, it was the 49ers defense that once again led the way.
McCaffrey ran for the go-ahead touchdown with 7:54 to play, and the Niners pitched a second-half shutout to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 22-16 Sunday night in their first game back from a bye week.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan has been known as one of the NFL's most creative play-callers.
The midseason addition of Christian McCaffrey has only expanded the possibilities for the 49ers, who now feature two of the game's most versatile players in McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — When San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan began his first news conference after the 49ers returned from their bye, the recitation of injuries was briefer than usual.
The week off came at a good time for the banged-up Niners, who got several key players back from injuries they hope will help them make a big playoff push in the second half of the season.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The first half of the season has been a bit of a roller coaster for the San Francisco 49ers as they try to build on last season's trip to the NFC title game.
They have endured the lows of a season-ending ankle injury to quarterback Trey Lance in Week 2, a blowout defeat to Kansas City and lackadaisical losses to teams like Chicago, Atlanta and Denver.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — When the Carolina Panthers made the decision to trade Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco and begin a rebuild, the running back said it put a “chip” on his shoulder.
McCaffrey had a sense of urgency to prove the San Francisco 49ers right for paying a heavy price for him, and the early returns have been positive.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — A matchup with the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams was once again just what the San Francisco 49ers needed to get their season back on track.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers playmaker Deebo Samuel will miss Sunday's key NFC West showdown against the rival Los Angeles Rams with an injured hamstring.
Samuel hurt his hamstring during last weekend's loss to Kansas City.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — For his debut with the San Francisco 49ers, Christian McCaffrey just wanted to make sure he knew his limited plays well enough to line up in the correct spot and run them properly.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan was forced to watch a horror film this week.
Instead of a Halloween slasher movie, Shanahan rewatched his most painful loss as a head coach when he put on video of the 49ers' loss to Kansas City in the Super Bowl following the 2019 season ahead of the rematch against the Chiefs.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The second-half offensive woes that have plagued the San Francisco 49ers early this season proved costly when the banged-up defense couldn't bail them out.
The Niners came up empty on all five drives in the second half on Sunday, leading to a 28-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons that leaves them at .500 six games into the season.
Jimmy Garoppolo was sharp, San Francisco's running game was efficient and the defense delivered another dominating performance.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The play-calling head coaches get lots of the attention around the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.
But the success that Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan have had as coaches in Los Angeles and San Francisco has had as much to do with the play of their defenses.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The stakes will be far lower when the Los Angeles Rams visit the San Francisco 49ers for the third meeting between the teams this calendar year.
The intensity is always high when these NFC West rivals meet.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Seven punts, three turnovers and an inexplicable play when Jimmy Garoppolo stepped out of bounds in the end zone for a safety summed up the night for the San Francisco 49ers offense.
DENVER (AP) — The only difference the San Francisco 49ers see in longtime nemesis Russell Wilson isn't in his game but his gear.
“It’s so weird seeing him in a new uniform,” linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair said.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance will miss the rest of the season after breaking his right ankle Sunday.
Lance went down after running the ball on the second drive of a 27-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers find themselves in a frustrating but familiar spot: a starting running back has gotten injured, forcing the team to scramble for a solution.
Next man up after Elijah Mitchell went down with a knee injury that is expected to sideline him for about two months is Jeff Wilson Jr.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers lost more than a game in a sloppy season-opener at Chicago.
The Niners lost starting running back Elijah Mitchell to a knee injury in the 19-10 loss to the Bears on Sunday.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle missed his second straight practice with a groin injury, leaving his status for the season opener against the Chicago Bears in doubt.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers advanced to the NFC championship game last season, and they believe they have the playmakers to make another big playoff run.
The Chicago Bears are starting over with a new general manager and coach.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Kyle Shanahan knows what the talk will be around the San Francisco 49ers if quarterback Trey Lance struggles in his first season as the starter with Jimmy Garoppolo waiting on the bench.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Before the news about Jimmy Garoppolo staying in San Francisco as the backup quarterback became public last week, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan gathered a group of his team leaders in his office to explain the situation.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — General manager John Lynch broached the idea a few weeks ago with coach Kyle Shanahan about keeping Jimmy Garoppolo in place as the backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers still face the same two major questions at the end of the exhibition season as they did at the start of training camp.
Now the Niners will have to wait until the start of the regular season for answers on whether untested quarterback Trey Lance is ready to take over the offense and whether the offensive line will be dependable enough to give Lance a chance at success.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (12-8)
NEW FACES: CB Charvarius Ward, DE Drake Jackson, DE Kerry Hyder, WR Ray-Ray McCloud, WR Danny Gray, OL Spence Burford, CB Samuel Womack, DL Kemoko Turay, DL Hassan Ridgeway, LB Oren Burks, S George Odum, TE Tyler Kroft.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers safety Jimmie Ward pulled his hamstring and might not be ready to return for the season opener on Sept. 11 in Chicago.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Ward got injured in practice Sunday and will likely be out at least a few weeks.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Trey Lance flashed his big arm in a brief preseason stint for San Francisco with a 76-yard touchdown pass to speedy rookie Danny Gray that helped the 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers 28-21 on Friday night.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The toughest part of a contract dispute for Deebo Samuel came in the final week when his San Francisco 49ers teammates were practicing and he could only work out on the side.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — All-Pro receiver Deebo Samuel signed his three-year extension with the San Francisco 49ers in time to take part in the team's first padded practice.
The two sides finalized the deal that will pay Samuel $71.55 million with $41 million fully guaranteed at signing on Monday.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brandon Aiyuk feels like he's in a good place after an up-and-down first two seasons in the NFL.
Aiyuk followed up a promising rookie season in 2020 with a stint in coach Kyle Shanahan's doghouse early last season.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The person perhaps most unfazed by San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan's pre-training camp proclamation that the 49ers were now Trey Lance's team was Lance himself.
While some people outside the organization may have wondered if the Niners were ready to turn a contender over to an untested, second-year quarterback, Lance had been operating all offseason as the starter.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Jimmy Garoppolo reported to training camp for the San Francisco 49ers after spending the offseason away rehabilitating his injured shoulder.
But the message from coach Kyle Shanahan about Garoppolo's future and the future of the 49ers was clear: “This is Trey's team."
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Nick Bosa spent his offseason away from the San Francisco 49ers enjoying his new boat and getting into even better shape than before rather than worrying about breaking the bank with his next contract.
Colin Kaepernick is getting his first chance to work out for an NFL team since last playing in the league in 2016 when he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.
The NFL has expanded the Rooney Rule again, this time to include quarterbacks coaches in a further effort to diversify the coaching ranks.
The change was announced Tuesday at the owners meeting in Atlanta by Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have had a distinct team-building philosophy since coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch took over the team in 2017 to focus heavily on the trenches.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have helped dictate the first round of the draft in five years under general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan with top 10 picks four times and multiple first-rounders twice.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers made their first big move of free agency, agreeing with former Kansas City cornerback Charvarius Ward on a three-year contract.
A person familiar with the deal confirmed it Monday night, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract can't be signed until the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers are hiring ESPN analyst Brian Griese as their new quarterbacks coach.
A person familiar with the move said Friday that Griese will leave the “Monday Night Football” booth to join coach Kyle Shanahan's staff.
The Miami Dolphins hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as their head coach Sunday, making him the first minority candidate to get hired so far this offseason.
McDaniel, who is biracial, replaces Brian Flores, who was fired despite posting winning records in the final two of his three seasons in Miami.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Before Jimmy Garoppolo finished his 17-minute season-ending news conference, he wanted to deliver a message to the San Francisco 49ers fans who supported him the past five seasons.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay arrived in California five years ago, a pair of hot-shot young coaches with a shared history and similar offenses taking over struggling franchises.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams is questionable for the NFC championship after missing practice all week with a sprained ankle.
Williams got hurt in the second half of last week's win at Green Bay but remained in the game.