49ers-Cardinals: Can defense cope without Nick Bosa? Should Mac Jones be traded?
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The San Francisco 49ers will host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday looking for a 3-0 start. We asked reporters Eric Branch and Harrison Rich and columnist Ann Killion for their thoughts on some of the big questions around the team.
Amid the rash of quarterback injuries so early in the season - Bears' Caleb Williams, Giants' Jaxson Dart, Commanders' Jayden Daniels, to name a few - should John Lynch be working the phones to see if there's demand for Mac Jones' services?
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Eric Branch:Mac Jones for a defensive lineman - any defensive lineman - who has a reasonable chance to stay healthy. Who says no? The 49ers' already crisis-level injury situation, which isn't limited to their defensive front, makes the idea of trading Jones for a player or a draft pick that could be swapped before the trade deadline appealing. But dealing Jones, perhaps the NFL's best backup, would mean this forever-battered franchise would be banking on their starting QB staying healthy for the rest of the season. That doesn't sound smart. Unless the 49ers have great confidence in third-stringer Kurtis Rourke, a 2025 seventh-round pick with zero career snaps, they should be very cautious about trading premium QB insurance.
Ann Killion:The rash of quarterback injuries means Mac Jones should be very much in demand. But the rash of quarterback injuries means the 49ers should be very cautious about listening to any offers for Jones. Quarterbacks are an endangered species and seasons can be completely derailed when the starter goes out. No one who watched MNF thinks Jameis Winston will lead the Giants to a win, let alone to the playoffs. The 49ers survived last season when Purdy missed eight games because Jones stepped in and won four of those games, three on the road. I wouldn't call Purdy injury-prone, but he has suffered some debilitating injuries in his four-plus year career. Unless someone is offering the moon, the 49ers should hold onto their very valuable backup.
Harrison Rich:As Ann points out, the 49ers know precisely the value Jones provides. He showed it last season when Purdy went down. Considering all the injuries already piling up around Purdy, it's clear strong quarterback play is going to be the 49ers' best friend this season. Purdy is currently their best and most important player (outside of arguably Fred Warner); if Jones has to step in, he will be just as important. San Francisco should be listening on Jones, for sure, but should only trade him if a team overpays. Perhaps a first-round pick plus a starting-caliber defender entices them.
How would you rate the early returns on wide receiver Deebo Samuel and linebacker Dre Greenlaw? Have their performances given reason to believe they've got more left in the tank after fans were quick to dismiss them as "washed" in Washington and Denver, respectively?
Branch: Samuel clearly isn't the same player he was during his wide-back breakout season of 2021. But that's old news. He's a serviceable starter and provides added value as one of the NFL's best kickoff returners. As far as Greenlaw, he's already delivered a host of hellacious hits and shown he remains an enforcer - when he's on the field. The question, which isn't new: How long can he remain available? He's played more than eight games in two of the past five seasons.
Killion: Two key members of the "getting the band back together" theme have looked pretty good. Both players seem energized to be back with the 49ers and have been relatively impactful. But both players have a lot of miles on them, and have - Greenlaw, in particular - injury history. Those years and miles can catch up with players as the grueling season progresses. While it's a feel-good story having both back, I think it's too early for the 49ers to assume they've beaten Father Time and can party like it's 2019.
Rich: Lynch and Shanahan have to be happy with the early returns on both of these guys. They penciled them in as starters when they brought them back, and both have returned value. Greenlaw looks as comfortable as ever alongside his buddy Warner, and Samuel's importance has only grown due to the wave of injuries around him. Time will tell if the good vibes last, but for now, the 49ers made out well by bringing these two back.
Where has new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris made the biggest impact so far, and how much of a test is he facing with this defensive line attrition?
Branch: Morris has made an impact by mixing it up with multiple fronts, blitzes and coverages. The 49ers don't have a particularly menacing pass rush - and that was before Nick Bosa was sidelined - but they had four sacks last week against the Dolphins, with safety Marques Sigle and cornerback Upton Stout combining for 1.5. Morris has looked like the man after two games. But he's not a miracle worker. The 49ers are without six of the nine defensive linemen who were on their initial 53-man roster. Morris will be challenged to make this work with Osa Odighizuwa, Keion White, Gracen Halton, Stan from Sunnyvale …
Killion:Morris' biggest impact so far was knowing what the Rams were going to do and being in Sean McVay's jet-lagged head in the season opener. Morris is a high-energy upbeat guy, and, oh boy, will he need to keep that positive mindset as he deals with the alarming rash of injuries on his defensive line. The latest is the news that Bosa may miss multiple weeks. The 49ers leaky run defense is already a concern and Morris is going to have to get extremely creative to plug holes.
Rich: Morris' willingness to experiment has been his best trait through two weeks. Against the Dolphins, he used a five-man front for parts of the first quarter, and while the returns were mixed, it reflected his creativity as a play caller. Morris has gotten a lot out of his secondary through two weeks. In particular, nickel back Stout has taken a massive leap. The real test for Morris is yet to come, though, as matchups against the Broncos and Seahawks loom. As the defensive line continues to take hits, Morris faces a real challenge in keeping his unit afloat.
Who wins on Sunday and why?
Branch: The 49ers still have Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Kyle Shanahan. And perhaps that will be enough to win a shootout with the Cardinals. Or perhaps not. It's quite possible I'm overreacting to the latest wave of injuries, but underdog Arizona has offensive firepower and the 49ers will be rotating in defensive linemen they just signed a few minutes ago. Cardinals 31, 49ers 30
Killion: The 49ers have been clicking on all cylinders so far and I don't see a letdown against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are building for the future under new coach Mike LaFleur, who is part of the Kyle Shanahan tree. But Shanahan likes to make sure his proteges don't get too cocky when they play him. The 49ers' biggest problem has been their rush defense and LaFleur will test that, but the Cardinals are still without their dynamic rusher James Conner, who tore his ACL last September against the 49ers and won't return until next month. 49ers 30, Cardinals 17
Rich: Much like last week, the 49ers should win this without much fuss. The Cardinals are coming off a 31-7 loss to the Seahawks. Drew Lock had no trouble dotting up Arizona's defense, connecting for three touchdowns while throwing just seven incompletions. With the way Purdy has been slinging it, his play alone should lift San Francisco to a 3-0 start. 49ers 31, Cardinals 13
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