Man, talk about a gut punch. Our Hawks just dropped another one, 14-17 to the Broncos. Seriously, that one stings. And while we’re all still processing that L, our rivals down south in Santa Clara are making moves, or at least talking about it, ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
Kittle’s Chirping and Lynch’s Shopping List
Word from the Niners’ camp is that General Manager John Lynch is indeed “shopping” before the NFL trade deadline hits. When he was asked on KNBR last Friday about the 49ers possibly trading for Khalil Mack, Lynch said he gets that question “a lot.” Turns out, it’s usually Kittle, the tight end, who’s doing the asking. Kittle even admitted he “chirps him” to see if Lynch will give anything away, along with guys like Kyle Juszczyk and Trent Williams. Apparently, Trent Williams gets the most info, not Kittle. Classic. Lynch confirmed that trade discussions are definitely “ramped up” because the deadline is approaching. That’s their job, he said, to talk with other teams, receive calls, and make calls to figure out the market. So yeah, they’re busy trying to get better. For our sakes, let’s hope it doesn’t quite work out.
Injury Report: Roster Thinning Out Fast
But even with all the trade talk, the Niners have some injury headaches. Wide receiver Mike Evans missed practice for the second day in a row. It sounds like that’s just how it’s gonna be with him this year: no practice, but still suiting up on game day. Defensive tackle Gracen Halton, though, that’s a different story. He missed his second straight day with a quad injury, which is “suboptimal” considering how many injuries they’ve got at that position. The Niners are “as thin as you can be” at defensive tackle right now. The only silver lining there is James Thompson was listed as limited, but that’s not a “1-for-1 swap” for Halton. And now rookie Romello Height is a new addition to the injury report, out with an illness after practicing in full on Thursday. Hopefully he’s fine, with their game still 72 hours away.
It’s interesting to see how they’re generating pressure this year without Nick Bosa. Osa Odighizuwa already has 15 pressures through just five games, with a 12.8 percent pass rush win rate that ranks 12th among his position group. Halton has seven pressures with a 9.6 percent win rate. Odighizuwa even said Halton, a fourth-round pick, is “very raw now,” so he’s just “seeing nothing but upside” when he watches him play. Sounds like he’s a project, but he’s contributing.
So, while our Hawks are figuring things out, our rivals are dealing with injuries and trying to make moves at the trade deadline. It’s never a dull moment in the NFC West, right?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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