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49ers’ best of the best since 2000

BY CAM INMAN

Atthe dawn of the 21st century, the 49ers’ sixth Super Bowl title figured to be right around the corner. They have been painfully close a couple of times, but 25 years after Y2K, the wait continues.

That’s not to say the 49ers of the 2000s haven’t produced their share of memories and memorable players.

In the past 25 seasons, the 49ers have reached the playoffs nine times, won the NFC West six times and played in the Big Game to conclude the 2012, 2019 and 2023 seasons. Hall of Famers Larry Allen, Isaac Bruce, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Patrick Willis and Bryant Young all wore Red and Gold during the 2000s before their enshrinement in Canton, Ohio. A couple more from this era should join them in the coming years.

Cam Inman, our 49ers beat writer, also came aboard in 2000. To celebrate his 25 seasons covering the team, here’s who he selected for his 49ers all-quarter century team, which he called an exercise in fun nostalgia and surprising debate, with no Lombardi Trophy to boost anyone’s case.

STAFF AND WIRE PHOTOS; PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID JACK BROWNING

Offense

Quarterback

First team: Brock Purdy

Second team: Jeff Garcia

Honorable mention: Jimmy Garoppolo, Colin Kaepernick, Alex Smith

Running back

First team: Frank Gore

Second team: Christian McCaffrey

Honorable mention: Garrison Hearst, Raheem Mostert

Wide receiver

First team: Terrell Owens, Deebo Samuel

Second team: Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin

Honorable mention: Brandon Aiyuk, Marquise Goodwin, Torrey Smith, Brandon Lloyd

Tight end

First team: George Kittle

Second team: Vernon Davis

Honorable mention: Delanie Walker, Garrett Celek

Fullback

First team: Kyle Juszczyk

Second team: Fred Beasley

Honorable mention: Moran Norris

Left tackle

First team: Joe Staley

Second team: Trent Williams

Honorable mention: Derrick Deese

Left guard

First team: Mike Iupati

Second team: Larry Allen

Honorable mention: Laken Tomlinson, David Baas, Aaron Banks

Center

First team: Jeremy Newberry

Second team: Jonathan Goodwin

Honorable mention: Alex Mack, Daniel Kilgore, Eric Heitmann, Jake Brendel

Right guard

First team: Alex Boone

Second team: Daniel Brunskill

Honorable mention: Ron Stone, Dave Fiore, Justin Smiley

Right tackle

First team: Mike McGlinchey

Second team: Anthony Davis

Honorable mention: Scott Gragg

Above: 49ers receiver Terrell Owens racked up 5,265 receiving yards from 2000-2003, and finished third in both receptions and touchdowns for the 49ers’ first quarter century.

JANE TYSKA/ STAFF ARCHIVES

Opposite: 49ers tight end Vernon Davis was a menace to opponents and a standout weapon for the San Francisco offense. In this century, his 55 touchdowns are second most to Frank Gore, who ran well ahead of the pack with 76 touchdowns.

THEARON W. HENDERSON/GETTY IMAGES

TOUCHDOWNS

Defense

Defensive end

First team: Nick Bosa, Aldon Smith

Second team: Andre Carter, Julian Peterson

Honorable mention: Ray McDonald, Manny Lawson, Dee Ford

Defensive tackle

First team: Bryant Young, Justin Smith

Second team: Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner

Honorable mention: Isaac Sopoaga, Anthony

Adams, Ian Williams, Earl Mitchell, Quinton Dial

Linebacker

First team: Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, Fred Warner

Second team: Derek Smith, Jeff Ulbrich, Ahmad Brooks

Honorable mention: Takeo Spikes, Dre Greenlaw, Azeez Al-Shaair, Michael Wilhoite

Cornerback

First team: Richard Sherman, Carlos Rogers

Second team: Walt Harris, Shawntae Spencer

Honorable mention: Terrell Brown, Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, Dontae Johnson, Ahmed Plummer

Safety

First team: Dashon Goldson, Tony Parrish

Second team: Donte Whitner, Antoine Bethea

Honorable mention: Eric Reid, Jimmie Ward, Zach Bronson, Talanoa Hufanga

Stat leaders of the 2000s

QUARTERBACK SACKS

Player Seasons Sacks

Nick Bosa 2019-24 62.5

Ahmad Brooks 2008-17 51.5

Aldon Smith 2011-15 44.0

Justin Smith 2008-14 43.5

Bryant Young 2000-07 41.5

INTERCEPTIONS

Player Seasons INTs

Tony Parrish 2002-06 22

Walt Harris 2006-10 15

Zack Bronson 2000-03 14

Dashon Goldson 2007-12 14

Ahmed Plummer 2000-05 12

SOLO TACKLES

Player Seasons Tackles

Patrick Willis 2007-14 733

Fred Warner 2018-24 569

NaVorro Bowman 2010-17 527

Derek Smith 2001-07 521

Jeff Ulbrich 2000-09 366

Top: Defensive end Aldon Smith won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, and in his four seasons with the 49ers, he netted 44 sacks.

JOSIE LEPE/ STAFF ARCHIVE

Bottom: In three seasons with the 49ers, kick returner

Ted Ginn Jr. collected 1,113 punt return yards, with two TDs. He added 2,045 yards on kickoffs, including a touchdown.

NHAT V. MEYER/ STAFF ARCHIVE

Special teams Coaches

Kicker

First team: Robbie Gould

Second team: Joe Nedney

Honorable mention: Phil Dawson, David Akers

Punter

First team: Andy Lee

Second team: Mitch Wishnowsky

Honorable mention: Bradley Pinion

Kick returner

First team: LaMichael James

Second team: Allen Rossum

Honorable mention: Bruce Ellington

Punt returner

First team: Ted Ginn Jr.

Second team: Jimmy Williams

Honorable mention: Allen Rossum

FIELD GOALS

Player Seasons FGM

Robbie Gould 2017-22 161 Joe Nedney 2005-10 129

Phil Dawson 2013-16 99

David Akers 2011-12 73 Jake Moody 2023-24 45

Head coach

First team: Kyle Shanahan

Second team: Jim Harbaugh

Honorable mention: Steve Mariucci

Offensive coordinator

First team: Greg Roman

Second team: Greg Knapp

Honorable mention: Mike McDaniel

Defensive coordinator

First team: Vic Fangio

Second team: Robert Saleh

Honorable mention: Jim Mora, DeMeco Ryans

COACHING REGULAR SEASON WINS

Coach Seasons Wins Kyle Shanahan 2017-24 70 Jim Harbaugh 2011-14 44

Steve Mariucci 2000-02 28

Mike Singletary 2008-10 18

Mike Nolan 2005-08 18

Purdy holds firm

As expectations mount, the San Francisco quarterback keeps his eye on the ball

BY CAM INMAN

Brock Purdy insisted “my mindset hasn’t changed” upon signing a five-year, $265 million contract extension this spring.

Others, however, may not think of the 49ers’ 25-year-old quarterback as a plucky underdog anymore.

By getting paid among the NFL’s top 10 quarterbacks, Purdy will be scrutinized more than ever, and the demands to snap the 49ers’ 30-year Lombardi Trophy drought only will intensify.

Pressure to win? Look, that comes with the job description. Especially with the 49ers, whether Purdy was taking his first snaps in 2022 after being the last player drafted — “Mr. Irrelevant” — or in 2024, after he led the team to the Super Bowl and passed for a franchise record 4,280 yards.

“Joe and Steve set that standard pretty high, right?” former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said, referring to former 49ers Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young, who helped fill the 49ers’ trophy case with five Super Bowl trophies. “They set it high for everybody who comes along.”

Ryan came heartbreakingly close to winning a Super Bowl in 2016 with the Falcons with current 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan as his offensive coordinator. Ryan, a former league MVP, twice signed contract extensions over $100 million in his career, so he’s familiar with the spotlight intensifying as the bank account increases.

“It changes the questions you’re going to be asked,” Ryan said. “It changes perceptions. It changes the outside noise all the time. And frankly,

Brock Purdy has blossomed into one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the NFL since being the final player picked in 2022. The 49ers are 27-13 in games Purdy has started at quarterback, including 4-2 in the playoffs.

Purdy, 25, signed a five-year, $265 million contract extension with the 49ers this spring.

NHAT V. MEYER/STAFF; JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO/STAFF

it changes the locker room, too.

“There’s an expectation to elevate everything around you.”

Purdy won his first 10 regular-season starts, but he’s 13-13 since. That, however, excludes the almighty playoffs, where he’s best judged.

In 2022, he won two playoff games before an injured elbow derailed the 49ers in the NFC title game at Philadelphia. A year later, he led the 49ers to the NFC crown with comeback wins over Green Bay and Detroit before an overtime loss in the Super Bowl to Kansas City.

The 49ers missed the playoffs last season.

“I’m so happy for him. He’s been playing so well the last three years, and he deserves it,” said Sam Darnold, Purdy’s backup in 2023 and now the starter with the division rival Seattle Seahawks. “He has such a good head on his shoulders. He’s going to continue to keep the main thing the main thing. The best quality Brock has is he’ll continue to be himself, no matter what.”

Purdy’s payday came with the endorsement of QB-standard bearer Montana, who said: “I mean, it’s not like he hasn’t done the job. He’s been fairly consistent. He had a lot of injuries.

Those are all tough to deal with.”

Last season, the 49ers withered through a 6-11 season amid myriad twists and turns. But their faith never wavered in Purdy, nor did the expectation he’d receive a huge payday once he became eligible after last season. Purdy’s salary last season, including a performance bump, was $985,000, less than what almost every backup quarterback in the league was paid.

“His expectations are always going to be high for himself, and it’s always going to be more each year,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. “But we expect Brock to do what he’s been doing.”

Ryan echoed that, and he speaks from firsthand experience in the Shanahan system in

Atlanta. Ryan, the No. 3 overall pick in 2008, received extensions from Atlanta in 2013 ($104 million) and 2018 ($150 million).

“It didn’t change me, though. It didn’t change the way I’m going to work,” Ryan recalled.

“If I need to change because of what you’re paying me, I wasn’t doing it right prior to this.

“I’ve always felt they’re not going to pay you if they want you to be different than what you are. They want you to be the best version of what you can be. I think there’ll be no issue with

After signing his big offseason deal, many fans are expecting Purdy to duplicate his breakthrough 2024 season, when he led the team to the Super Bowl and passed for a franchise record 4,280 yards.

NHAT V. MEYER/ STAFF

a guy like Brock. Also, it’s the going rate.”

Former Washington quarterback Joe Theisman framed Purdy’s plight in a different light.

“Now the pressure really gets on him: ‘Can you earn the dollars?’ You earned the opportunity to get it. Now can you earn the dollars,” Theisman said.

“That’s really where it falls. But I’m thrilled for Brock. I think the 49ers will bounce back this year.”

In the Super Bowl two seasons ago, Purdy pushed the 49ers into late leads via

field-goal drives, and they still became the first team to lose a Super Bowl after leading in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Justin Reid was a Chiefs safety in Super Bowl LVIII when he watched Purdy rally the 49ers twice in the second half of the eventual overtime loss. He’s a Purdy advocate.

“He deserves a lot more credit. He had two guys come before him, in Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, and they’re playing in the same system and they didn’t execute at the level

he does,” Reid said. “He’s not the biggest guy. He doesn’t have all the sexy traits or whatever. But at the end of the day, this is a production business, and he gets the job done.

“When we were game planning for the Super Bowl,” Reid added, “our coordinator (Steve) Spagnuolo had the utmost respect for him and his craft.”

The 49ers do, too. That is why they invested the biggest contract in their history into the quarterback they took No. 262 overall just three years ago.

Upon this Brock

Shanahan and Lynch are staking their future on the success of their high-paid quarterback

BY DIETER KURTENBACH

This is it for the 49ers’ duo of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.

No, the duo isn’t on the hot seat, but consider the 2025 season the beginning of either a glorious future or the end for the pair, who came to Santa Clara in 2017 and returned the winning standard of the red and gold.

But even the most successful of franchise leaders only have so much leash, and Shanahan and Lynch have already used up every inch of theirs, going through two “franchise” quarterbacks before finding Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Purdy is their third “franchise” quarterback, signed to the largest contract in 49ers history.

It was a no-brainer deal for the Niners and a win-win for the franchise and player — both parties earned serious concessions from the other in reaching the final agreement.

The deal also irrevocably intertwined the Bay Area fates of the three most important people in an organization — Purdy, Shanahan and Lynch.

Perhaps the trio will lead the Niners to another golden era. No matter what, we’re down to brass tacks in the South Bay.

It speaks volumes about Purdy that Shanahan and Lynch have tied their San Francisco fates to a 6-foot quarterback coming off a six-win season. While the alternatives were not necessarily plentiful or obviously superior, there was still the realistic possibility of adding Purdy’s 2024 backup Sam Darnold, longtime Shanahan target Kirk Cousins (usurped in Atlanta), longtime bugaboo Russell Wilson or Northern California native Aaron Rodgers. Such alternatives were relentlessly offered from outside parties, but those inside the Niners’ facility were steadfast in their zeal to sign Purdy.

Perhaps that’s because the powers that be know they’re only still in power in Santa Clara because they lucked into Purdy with that final pick after Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance failed to become their “franchise” quarterback.

The severity of the situation at hand is obvious.

The 49ers did a hard reset this past offseason,

trading star receiver Deebo Samuel, cutting contracts the team deemed to be underwater, re-signing the team’s core three — Purdy, tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner — loading up on 11 draft picks and putting a full-court press to successfully bring back defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

In turn, the team could be pushing the message that 2025 is a gap year, saying that they’ll see what happens in 2025 but will be back to Super Bowl or bust in 2026. There are subtle ways of hinting at such expectations without expressly stating such beliefs.

Yet Shanahan and Lynch have said nothing of the sort so far. No, thanks to one of the most favorable schedules in NFL history (though making such proclamations before the season always proves foolhardy) and those big-money contracts with their middle linebacker, tight end and especially their quarterback, it’s full-steam ahead this season.

The success of this experiment will be obvious. It will come in the form of a double-digit-win season, a playoff berth and perhaps even a home playoff game division title. It could even look like 2023, when Purdy not only led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance but also received MVP votes in the process.

Failure will not be obvious but rather evidenced by dissonance. The team wins, but Purdy struggles; Purdy is exceptional, but the team around him cannot win games. It’s this kind of gray area that has unfairly cursed the young quarterback so far in his career — the 49ers’ wins apparently (if you listen to certain sects of media) have nothing to do with Purdy, but the losses are hung on the quarterback’s neck like an albatross.

It simply will not matter that his supporting cast is diminished or that his receiver core is questionable, at best. No, now that he’s the $265 million man (even though he might only see a third of that number), whatever deference the 26-year-old once received (minimal, it seems) will be gone.

And if he’s gone, then so, too, are the two who drafted him.

BURGERS TO THE SUPER BOWL

How a restaurant sponsorship spurred the Niners toward their first great victory

STORY BY JASON MASTRODONATO

PHOTOS BY ARIC CRABB

At the top of a hill in Redwood City, Joe Montana walked through the door of the Canyon Inn, ordered a hamburger and sat down in a booth.

There was no crowd that formed around him. No pictures being taken. No autographs requested.

This was a normal day in 1981, and Joe Montana wasn’t “Joe Montana.” He was barely known. He had just begun his first season as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

“He was just Regular Joe,” remembered then49ers defensive lineman Dwaine Board. “We weren’t real superstars, we were just a bunch of guys having fun and playing football.”

And at the Canyon Inn, where the 49ers were promised free food any time they won a game, nobody could’ve expected what happened next.

A team that won just two games in 1978, two in 1979, and six in 1980, was about to change the trajectory of a restaurant that was selling hamburgers for 95 cents each.

“The thing about the Canyon Inn is that it played a big role with how (the 1981 49ers) team came together,” said former 49er Dwaine Board, who returns to the team’s old hangout in Redwood City weekly with his family.

Or maybe it was the restaurant that would change the trajectory of the 49ers.

“They’ll win three, four games, and it’ll be a fun promotion,” restaurant owner Tim Harrison thought in 1981.

The Canyon Inn began as a one-man operation in 1972, when Harrison, an East Bay native, quit his job as a cook at a local restaurant. He grew tired of hot food going cold while it waited for a busy server to deliver it to its table.

With nothing more than a grill and a table, a 22-year-old Harrison started selling burgers out of an old 7-11.

“You come up, you order, I get the money, I take your name, I call you, you come and pick it up,” Harrison explained. “If it’s cold, it’s because you didn’t come and pick it up. That’s it.”

With no money in his pocket, he risked everything for his new business. He even slept there for a few months, taking showers at a nearby gym, while saving money for an apartment.

Slowly, customers started showing up. They liked his hamburgers. They liked him.

Whatever money he made, Harrison poured it back into the restaurant. He invited some carpenter friends and family to come help him develop a fully functional kitchen and seating area. (The original booths they built are still there today.)

Soon, the Canyon Inn was bustling. And Harrison started to notice that some of his customers were players and executives with the 49ers. Their practice facility, then located at Red Morton Community Park, was barely a mile away.

One customer was John McVay, the former director of football operations and eventual grandfather to Rams head coach Sean McVay. Harrison pitched him an idea: He wanted to hold a team rally at the restaurant at the beginning of the 1981 season.

McVay connected Harrison with former Niners player R.C.

Owens liked the idea, but in order to lure the players to the rally, Harrison would need to make a promise: free food.

Harrison agreed. He printed out little cards to give to all the players and staff, good for one free hamburger during the week after a 49ers win.

Canyon Inn soon held the rally. Players stood on a flatbed truck and thanked fans for the support.

“It was unbelievable,” said Board. “It was like everyone in Redwood City showed up. It was a mob of people. And it was a lot different than it is today. They showed up just to see us. They didn’t want pictures or autographs; they just wanted to be a part of it.”

A few weeks later, on Sept. 13, 1981, the 49ers beat the Chicago

Owner Tim Harrison sits in a booth at the Canyon Inn restaurant in Redwood City. The Canyon Inn restaurant used to be down the street from the 49ers practice facility, and the team had been so bad that in 1981, the restaurant decided to offer free meals to players and staff following a win. That year turned out to be their first Super Bowl season.

Below: Kicker Ray Wersching was one of the many 49ers from the 1981 team that frequented the Canyon Inn.

Owens, who had taken an administrative role with the team.

Bears, 28-17, at home for their first win of the season.

“I’m telling my girlfriend at this point, ‘Geez, I wonder if they’ll be in for their free hamburger tomorrow,’” Harrison said. “I get there, and sure enough, they are lined up at the door. With staff and players. And they got their little ticket.”

Free food meant a lot to players back then. The 49ers at that point was “a mom and pop shop,” remembered Jerry Walker, former public relations director.

Montana was making $85,000 a year. Offensive linemen were making about $30,000 a year.

On the defensive line, “we were making carwash money,” said Board.

With the promise of free food, everybody was showing up to the Canyon Inn. And a card that was meant to be for one free hamburger had accidentally turned into a pass for unlimited food for any 49ers players and staff, and their families, and their assistants, and their girlfriends and wives and whoever happened to be with them that day.

“They were boxing up food to bring it home,” Harrison remembered.

Walker said, “I told Tim, ‘you know you’re being taken advantage of.’ He’d say, ‘yeah, but I love these guys. These are good guys.’”

The 49ers lost their next game to Atlanta, then went 12-1 the rest of the season and 3-0 in the playoffs on their way to winning the franchise’s first Super Bowl.

After every one of those wins, the Canyon Inn would be packed with Niners people.

“The first time I went up there following work, I thought I’d get a burger,” remembered Walker. “When I got there, all our offensive linemen were in there: Randy Cross, John Ayers, Keith Fahnhorst, Bubba Paris.

“Bubba, he may have eaten Tim out of house and home.”

Board recalled, “the one who got the most enjoyment out of it was Jack ‘Hacksaw’ Reynolds. I think he was there every day.”

Harrison didn’t keep an exact record but estimated he gave away

Fans at Candlestick Park carried Ronnie Lott off the field after the 49ers clinched their first NFC West title since 1972 by beating the New York Giants in Week 13. That win — any win during that 1981 season — resulted in free food for 49ers players and staffers at the Canyon Inn.

PAUL SAKUMA/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

more than $15,000 of food to the 49ers that year.

“Easily,” said Harrison. “And remember, at those prices, hamburgers were 95 cents.”

To understand how much $15,000 was back then, it was more than the annual average salary for a person living in the Bay Area ($14,416, according to United Press International).

Did all that free food hurt Harrison’s business?

“No… well, yeah, but it’s still here, right?” Harrison said. “I mean, geez, I got a lot of publicity. People were calling me from the New York Times, ‘Hey, we want to do an article about the 49ers. I understand they’re coming in here.’”

The New York Times and Times Magazine were among the many national news outlets to name the Canyon Inn as an important part of the 1981 San Francisco 49ers season.

It was a special one, too, as it launched what would become one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history.

“The thing about the Canyon Inn,” Board said, “is that it played a big role with how that team came together. Today, players don’t get together like they did back in the day. But everybody would go have a team meal together and talk about the game. It was great team bonding.”

As the years went by, even when the Niners lost, Board said the team would still go in there. Whoever had the best game that day would take care of the bill.

“Usually, it was Fred Dean,” Board said.

All the attention the 49ers got the Canyon Inn was great for Harrison’s business. But talk to him today, and it’s clear he doesn’t care about that.

It’s about the relationships he built.

He’s got pictures with every 49ers player from the 1980s all over the walls inside the restaurant. Many of them still go in.

Board takes his family weekly. Walker takes a group of people once a month. Bill Ring can be found there often.

“It hasn’t changed much,” Board said. “It’s still the same. It feels like going back to the 1980s. Great hamburgers.”

In 2020, when the restaurant had to close because of the pandemic and Harrison was afraid the end of the Canyon Inn was near, he got a phone call from former 49ers linebacker Keena Turner.

“I want to do a radio ad for

you,” Turner told him.

“Keena, I don’t have the money right now,” Harrison said.

“I want to do it for free,” Turner said.

Turner recorded and produced an ad that ran on the radio in 2020 and still runs on the radio

during every 49ers game today (Harrison pays the radio stations, but Turner never let him pay him for the production).

Replaying the memory now, Harrison starts to cry.

He moves on, talking about something else, showing a visi-

The relationships — that’s what matters to Harrison.

“He was probably the reason for us winning, I think,” Board said.

C’mon. Really? A restaurant is the reason a 49ers dynasty was born?

“Yeah, because of the free food and the bonding that we came together as a team,” Board said.

The next day, Harrison wakes up at 6 a.m., drives to the grocery store, picks up a day’s worth of produce and meats, then drives to the restaurant to start working.

Just like he’s done every day since 1972.

Asked about his legacy, Harrison shakes his head.

tor every piece of memorabilia on the wall and the stories that go along with them.

Soon, Harrison is stopped by customers who want to say hi.

The same customers who have been regulars for 20, 30, 40-plus years.

“Oh gosh, I don’t know,” he said. “I just love this. This is my passion. It’s my purpose. These people...”

He looks around, getting emotional.

“I feel lucky that I get to go to work,” he said.

Forty-Niners’ sports memorabilia, left and above, and a menu from 1973, below, adorn the walls at Canyon Inn restaurant in Redwood City.

49ers big free agent catch Farrell looks forward to expanding his ‘people-mover’ role

BY JERRY MCDONALD

The 49ers were mostly inert during free agency this offseason, choosing instead to focus on contract extensions with franchise cornerstones Brock Purdy, Fred Warner and George Kittle, while at the same time shedding salary to get younger following a 6-11 season.

It wasn’t looked upon favorably by a fan base hoping for some star power. There was one exception, and it was a big one in a physical sense. Luke Farrell is not big in terms of name recognition, but he plays big.

Almost lost in the whirlwind opening days of free agency was the team quickly reaching an agreement with tight end Luke Farrell. While throwing others overboard — allowing their own free agents to leave, as well as releasing some under contract — the 49ers extended a hand to

Farrell, a 27-year-old four-year veteran with Jacksonville who received a three-year contract with $11 million guaranteed and a maximum value of $20.25 million.

It was a pretty good chunk of change for a team looking to reduce payroll, especially with the presence of a Hall of Fame candidate in Kittle already on the roster and still in his prime.

“I’ve heard from guys that have been there,” Farrell said of former Jaguars teammates who once played for the 49ers. “I like how they operate and the opportunity to play in this offense with these coaches and players.”

Since he arrived in 2017, the year Kittle was drafted, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has cycled through eight more tight ends — Garrett Celek, Logan Paulsen, Ross Dwelley (he left

and came back last year), Levine Toilolo, Jordan Reed, Tyler Kroft, Eric Saubert and Brayden Williams.

None received the kind of financial compensation afforded to Farrell.

“I think having a No. 2 tight end in the NFL is huge,” Shanahan said. “Usually, there’s one guy who excels in the pass game and one guy who excels in the run game.”

Farrell, at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, has just 36 career receptions and has yet to score his first NFL touchdown. But he’s a people mover who operates almost as an extra tackle. Rather than rely solely on angles and leverage, Farrell can actually move the mountains that face him as edge setters or beasts coming on stunts from the interior.

“Luke, his (game) tape was very, very impressive,” offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Foerster said. “He literally has an impact on defensive ends. When he blocks or hits one, there’s movement. You see things with him that you don’t see in a lot of tight ends.”

The presence of Farrell, a fifth-round pick out of Ohio

The 49ers’ biggest free agent splash this offseason was to sign Luke Farrell, and they envision the veteran tight end as much more than Pro-Bowler Greg Kittle’s backup.

SHAE HAMMOND/STAFF

could result in Farrell’s first NFL

have success on a team like that, you’re going to get the exposure.”

Farrell cuts an impressive figure among the position group, and Kittle is excited to see what he brings in terms of physicality.

“I like that he’s a big dude. I’m a huge fan of that,” Kittle said. “He’s got great tape. He’s excited to be here, and I’m excited to get to work with him, too. He’s an experienced guy and has played a lot of reps, so it’s not like you’re teaching a rookie.”

During the offseason, Farrell attended Tight End University in Nashville, the yearly summit for the position hosted by Kittle and fellow Pro Bowl tight ends Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen. Before that, Farrell’s connection to Kittle came in a Zoom meeting during the COVID pandemic.

posed to be there, and that’s as a

from a Big Ten school, Iowa, and

“He was on because his dad had a connection with Kevin Wilson, who was our tight ends coach at the time. They both coached at Oklahoma,” Farrell said. “George had some down time, and we were just studying a lot of ball and were trying to pick up any skills we could just from film study.

“He hopped on with us, told us what he was about, gave us some of his experience and wisdom, having a handful of years in. (When I signed with the 49ers), he reached out right away and welcomed me.”

simply trying to make a roster at the outset. He didn’t see himself

Farrell joins the 49ers, a Super Bowl contender, from a Jaguars team that went 4-13 last season after twice going 9-8. In Farrell’s rookie year, they were 3-14, so he knows what a losing locker room can feel like.

The 49ers, Farrell believes, don’t have the vibe of a team that went 6-11 a year ago.

“If you didn’t know what happened last year, you’d have no idea of their record,” Farrell said. “That’s a testament to the people in the building, and their resiliency and how professional they are. You don’t dwell on the past when you’re looking forward to the season.”

49ers’ schedule at a glance

Here is a week-by-week look as they try to return to the playoffs and make another Super Bowl run

BY CAM INMAN

Week 1

Sunday, Sept. 7 (1:05 p.m., FOX)

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Sam Darnold’s Seahawks debut comes against a rebuilt 49ers’ defense with Robert Saleh reprising his role as coordinator after four years as the Jets’ head coach. Linebacker Fred Warner and the run defense will get a firm test out the gate to see if it’s improved enough to thwart Kenneth Walker III. If Brock Purdy improves to 3-0 all-time in Seattle, critics of his contract extension will be silenced — for a week. If Christian McCaffrey is available for this opener, then the 49ers already will be off to a better start than last year.

Week 2

Sunday, Sept. 14 (10 a.m., FOX)

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

A week after Saints coach Kellen Moore makes his debut at the Superdome against the Arizona Cardinals, here come the 49ers. Opening with back-to-back road games could be a sign of good things ahead for San Francisco. The 49ers did in 2019, ’21 and ’23, and those Niners teams started 2-0 and reached the playoffs.

Week 3

Sunday, Sept. 21 (1:25 p.m., FOX)

ARIZONA CARDINALS

It’s the 49ers’ home opener and official unveiling of an updated Levi’s Stadium, which will host the Super Bowl on Feb. 8. The last time the Cardinals were in town, the 49ers blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead and lost in the stadium’s hottest game ever (89 degrees at kickoff, with temperatures eventually reaching 100).

Week 4

Sunday, Sept. 28 (1:05 p.m. FOX)

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

The Jaguars interviewed Saleh before hiring Liam Coen as a first-time head coach, so look for the 49ers’ defensive coordinator to have extra motivation to scheme the 49ers’ attack on quarterback Trevor Lawrence. After three games, will Jaguars hot-shot two-way rookie Travis Henry still be more of a wide receiver than cornerback?

Week 5

Thursday, Oct. 2 (5:15 p.m., Prime Video)

LOS ANGELES RAMS

The 49ers’ appearance at SoFi Stadium is sure to attract another sea of redjersey fans to create a home-away-fromhome environment. But the reigning division champs will give the SoCal fans something to cheer for with a topnotch defensive front and an offense that now includes former Packers star Davante Adams to complement Matthew Stafford, Puka Nakua and Kyren Williams. Williams scored three touchdowns in last year’s Rams’ home comeback win over the 49ers.

Week 6

Sunday, Oct. 12 (10 a.m., CBS)

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Neither an early start nor Jake Moody missing his first three field-goal attempts of the game derailed the 49ers’ 2024 visit, which Moody settled by booting a 44-yarder as time expired. The wild game included Christian McCaffrey’s season debut and Deebo Samuel’s pep talk/confrontation.

Week 7

Sunday, Oct. 19 (5:20 p.m., NBC)

ATLANTA FALCONS

After back-to-back road games against 2024 division winners, the 49ers return home to face a Falcons team in transition and projected by many to take a small step back after winning eight games last season. The 49ers’ young defense figures to face 2024 first-round quarterback Michael Penix, who played in just five games as a rookie. The 49ers offense faces a young defense bolstered by 2025 first-round pass rushers in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.

Week 8

Sunday, Oct. 26 (noon, FOX)

HOUSTON TEXANS

DeMeco Ryans, who replaced Saleh as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator in 2021, is entering his third season as Texans head coach. He’s led the Texans to consecutive 10-win seasons and AFC South titles. Other ex-49ers on the Texans are linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, safety Jimmie Ward, guard Laken Tomlinson and offensive tackle Trent Brown (cousin of 49ers rookie Alfred Collins).

Week 9

Sunday, Nov. 2 (10 a.m. CBS)

NEW YORK GIANTS

The 49ers return to MetLife Stadium five years since Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas both suffered season-ending ACL tears during a 30-13 Week Two win over the Jets. The oft-criticized surface at the stadium the Giants and Jets share was replaced before the 2023 season. The New York City Marathon is taking place on the same day, so let’s just predict that

Christian McCaffrey will run his way to NFC Player of the Week honors.

Christian McCaffrey will face the team that traded him to the 49ers three seasons ago — the Carolina Panthers — for the first time in Week 12.

NHAT V. MEYER/STAFF

Week 10

Sunday, Nov. 9 (1:25 p.m., FOX)

LOS ANGELES RAMS

The 49ers-Rams series wraps up with two months left in the regular season?

Bummer. Kyle Shanahan is 4-4 vs. Sean McVay in coaching duels at Levi’s Stadium. This is the fourth game in six weeks against a team that won a division in 2024 but also the last of the regular season.

Week 11

Sunday, Nov. 16 (1:05 p.m., FOX)

ARIZONA CARDINALS

In last season’s finale in Glendale, Kyler Murray threw four touchdown passes. Officials ejected the 49ers’ Jauan Jennings in the second quarter for being involved in fights on back-to-back plays. Jennings finished 25 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season and was never fined, unlike the Cardinals combatants.

Week 12

Monday, Nov. 24 (5:15 p.m., ESPN)

CAROLINA PANTHERS

The teams haven’t met since Week 5 of the 2022 season, when Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey accumulated over 100 yards in rushing and receiving yards and scored a touchdown, but the 49ers rolled to a 37-15 blowout win in Charlotte. Twelve days later, he was traded to the 49ers. This is the first week in the NFL calendar that a Monday Night Football matchup can be flexed, and we’ll know if that’s the case here by Nov. 12.

Week 13

Sunday, Nov. 30 (10 a.m., CBS)

CLEVELAND BROWNS

The 49ers look to finally break through in Cleveland, where they have lost four in a row. They haven’t won in the Forest City since 1984, when Bill Walsh was head coach, Joe Montana was quarterback and Kyle Shanahan was a month shy of his 6th birthday. This is where the 49ers’ unbeaten start to the 2023 season unexpectedly ended in Week 6, when Jake Moody missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt in the final seconds to spoil a gritty comeback drive by Brock Purdy.

Led by second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears are a popular pick to break out in 2025. Chicago’s visit to Levi’s Stadium in Week 17 could have playoff implications for both teams.

DAVID DERMER/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Week 14 BYE

If this seems late in the season to finally happen, it is. It’s the latest bye in franchise history and the latest possible week in NFL regular season.

Week 15

Sunday, Dec. 14 (1:25 p.m., FOX)

TENNESSEE TITANS

The 49ers have won four of their past five games coming off the bye week and could be gearing up for a big finish. The Titans are planning to turn their offense over to rookie quarterback Cam Ward, this year’s top pick in the NFL draft. It will be a homecoming for Titans second-year head coach Brian Callahan. Callahan, who led the Titans to a 3-14 record last season, is a De La Salle High-Concord graduate whose Bay Area ties include serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at San Mateo’s Serra High from 2008-09.

Week 16

Monday, Dec. 22 (5:15 p.m., ESPN)

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Another road game against an opponent the 49ers haven’t seen much of in recent years. The 49ers have lost five in a row against the Colts, a streak that dates

Who will

BY CAM INMAN

San Francisco 49ers

Coach: Kyle Shanahan (ninth year)

Last season: 6-11, last place

to 2005 — when Peyton Manning was Indy’s quarterback and only had won the first two of his eventual five league MVP awards. The teams last met in 2021, a 30-18 49ers loss at Levi’s Stadium. The Colts are dedicating this season to late owner Jim Irsay, who died in May at the age of 65.

Week 17

Sunday, Dec. 28 (5:20 p.m., NBC)

CHICAGO BEARS

The longtime rivals are meeting for the 70th game, including two lopsided NFC championship games (during the 1984 and 1988 seasons) that sent the 49ers to the Super Bowl to titles No. 2 and No. 3. The teams are playing each other for the fourth time in five seasons, with the home team prevailing in the past two meetings, including the 49ers’ 38-13 win last season.

Week 18

Saturday/Sunday, Jan. 3 or 4 (TBD)

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Yes, the always entertaining 49ersSeahawks series serves as bookends to this season. This is the fifth time they meet in a regular-season finale, the previous two coming in 2019 (a 49ers win at Seattle) and 2020 (a Seahawks win at 49ers).

Arrivals: DE Mykel Williams, DE Bryce Huff, S Jason Pinnock, S Richie Grant, QB Mac Jones, TE Luke Farrell, DT Alfred Collins, DT C.J. West, LB Nick Martin, CB Upton Stout, WR Jordan Watkins, WR Demarcus Robinson, TE Ross Dwelley, LB Luke Gifford, OT Andre Dillard, CB Tre Brown, CB Siran Neal, LS Jon Weeks, P Thomas Morstead

Departures: WR Deebo Samuel, LB Dre Greenlaw, CB Charvarius Ward, S Talanoa Hufanga, LG Aaron Banks, RB Jordan Mason, RB Elijah Mitchell, OT Jaylon Moore, DE Leonard Floyd, DT Javon Hargrave, DT Maliek Collins, CB Isaac Yiadom, G Jon Feliciano, QB Brandon Allen, QB Josh Dobbs, DE Drake Jackson, LS Taybor Pepper, TE Eric Saubert, P Pat O’Donnell, CB Rock Ya-Sin

Analysis: Not since Shanahan’s 2017 arrival has the 49ers’ roster undergone such a transformation. The same with his coaching staff, which includes new coordinators in Robert Saleh (defense), Klay Kubiak (offense) and Brant Boyer (special teams). Shanahan’s offense still carries clout with Brock Purdy, fresh off his contract extension, complemented by stars Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Trent Williams. Brandon Aiyuk’s return from ACL surgery is a key to an otherwise young receiving corps that lost 2021 breakout star Deebo Samuel in a trade to Washington. The 49ers’ biggest makeover is on defense, where six starters left in free agency and could be replaced by a youth movement led by top pick Mykel Williams at the defensive end spot opposite Nick Bosa. The June trade for Bryce Huff also should bolster the 49ers’ defensive front. Saleh and veteran linebacker Fred Warner face a tough task of shepherding the new personnel into a sturdy unit after the 49ers’ inability to stop the run last season. The special teams underwent sweeping changes, and they simply can’t be as bad as last year.

Projected finish: 11-6, first place (via tiebreaker)

stand atop the NFC West?

Los Angeles Rams

Coach: Sean McVay (ninth year)

Last season: 10-7, first place (via tiebreaker)

Arrivals: WR Davante Adams, DT Poona Ford, C Coleman Shelton, LB Nate Landman, WR Britain Covey, TE Terrance Ferguson, LB Josaiah Stewart, RB Jarquez Hunter

Departures: WR Cooper Kupp, WR Demarcus Robinson, G Jonah Jackson, OT Joseph Noteboom, CB Tre Tomlinson, DE Michael Hoecht, LB Christian Rozeboom, TE Hunter Long

Analysis: Matthew Stafford, after drawing trade interest from the Raiders and the Giants, took less money (he’ll still pocket $40 million) to return for his fifth season with the Rams. Now in Stafford’s sights is six-time Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams, a Palo Alto High School graduate. Adams replaces longtime star Cooper Kupp, who signed with Seattle, as the Rams’ complementary receiver to Puka Nacua (pictured below). Even with all those offensive weapons and overlooked running back Kyren Williams, the Rams are now driven by their young and feisty defensive front. Jared Verse and Braden Fiske finished first and third in NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors last season. The Rams overcame a 1-4 start (the win was a Week 3 comeback over the 49ers) to win the West, despite being the only division winner to score fewer points than it gave up. They won a wild-card game at home against the Vikings before falling to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Eagles in a divisional-

Arizona Cardinals

Coach: Jonathan Gannon (third year)

Last season: 8-9, third place

Arrivals:LB Josh Sweat, QB Jacoby Brissett, DE Calais Campbell, DE Dalvin Tomlinson, DT Walter Nolen, CB Will Johnson, LB Jordan Burch, LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB Mykal Walker, G Royce Newman, T Jake Curhan, CB Jaylon Jones

Departures: CB Patrick Peterson, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (injured), LB Kyzir White, G Will Hernandez, K Matt Prater, DE Dennis Gardeck, WR Zach Pascal

Analysis: Their world still revolves around quarterback Kyler Murray (pictured below), who is 36-45-1 since the Cardinals took him No. 1 overall (ahead of Nick Bosa) in 2019. The Cardinals have one playoff appearance with Murray, a 2021 wildcard loss to the Rams. Arizona in April made Trey McBride the NFL’s highest-paid tight end at $19 million per year, but George Kittle’s contract extension ($19.1M) eclipsed that a few weeks later. Similar to the 49ers, the Cardinals used their top five picks in the draft on defense, headlined by defensive tackle Walter Nolen, cornerback Will Johnson and defensive end Jordan Burch. Johnson will be counted on immediately with veteran cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting out for the season because of a knee injury. The Cardinals — and longtime nemesis Budda Baker (the seven-time Pro Bowl safety is entering his ninth season with

Seattle Seahawks

Coach: Mike Macdonald (second year)

Last season: 10-7, second place (via tiebreaker)

Arrivals: QB Sam Darnold, WR Cooper Kupp, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, G/C Grey Zabel, S Nick Emmanwori, TE Elijah Arroyo, QB Jalen Milroe, QB Drew Lock, TE Eric Saubert, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, CB Shemar Jean-Charles, G Josh Jones, S D’Anthony Bell

Departures: QB Geno Smith, WR DK Metcalf, WR Tyler Lockett, G Laken Tomlinson, DL Dre’Mont Jones, DL Roy RobertsonHarris, S Rayshawn Jenkins, TE Pharaoh Brown, CB Artie Burns, QB Sam Howell, CB Tre Brown

Analysis: Sam Darnold (pictured below), who went from 49ers backup in 2023 to receiving NFL MVP votes with the Vikings last season, takes over a new-look offense in Seattle that has bid farewell to longtime receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. The Seahawks did add Cooper Kupp, the Pacific Northwest native and 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year as a free agent. The 31-year-old averaged 79 receptions in eight seasons with the Rams but missed five games because of injuries in each of the past two seasons. The running game is solid, with Jaxon SmithNjigba coming off a 1,130-yard season and Kenneth Walker III entering his fourth year as a hard-charging rusher. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon and defensive lineman Leonard Williams headline Macdonald’s defense that needs more oomph to contend

How the NFL division and wild-card races shape up in 2025 Champs on the make

BY JERRY M c DONALD

NFC West

49ers. Some of the more reactionary members of the fan base actually believed the 49ers were tanking this season after retooling their roster. What they really did was make themselves better and kept their contention window open for at least two more years.

NFC North

Detroit Lions. The Lions gave up 34 or more points four times in their last six games last season, including a 45-31 playoff loss to Washington. With edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson back from injury and an explosive offense, the Lions should defend their title in the NFC’s toughest division.

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I’ve totally underrated Tampa Bay (and quarterback Baker Mayfield) for the last two seasons. No longer. It is hard to believe they won’t run away with the weakest division in the NFC.

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles. Expect more bumps in the road coming off a muchdeserved Super Bowl championship season. But the Eagles should prevail in the NFC by a Tush Push because of their explosive balance on both sides of the ball.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should have no problem running away with the NFC South division title in 2025.

ED ZURGA/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wild cards

Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears. The Rams have been very good two years running, with tough playoff losses to Detroit and Philadelphia. They develop young talent as well as any team in the NFL. The Packers will need an uptick in terms of quality play from quarterback Jordan Love, but he appears capable. New Bears head coach Ben Johnson will be the best thing that ever happened to quarterback Caleb Williams.

On the outside looking in

Minnesota Vikings. As good as Kevin O’Connell is as a head coach, I’m sensing a rough rookie season ahead for quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings’ free agency and draft decisions left something to be desired.

Washington Commanders. Will the sophomore slump that hit the Texans’ C.J. Stroud be in play for Washington QB Jayden Daniels, who was a revelation and the runaway winner as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season? It looked like Deebo Samuel hit the wall last season with the 49ers; will new surroundings help?

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs. Do you really think there’s any other choice but the team that’s won the AFC West nine straight years and still has Andy Reid as coach and Patrick Mahomes at quarterback? There will be a surprise in the division, but it won’t be at the top.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens. At some point, Derrick Henry is going to be running on empty, but for the time being, the 30-year-old running back and league MVP runner-up Lamar Jackson are the NFL’s most feared 1-2 punch. It’s hard to believe Baltimore hasn’t been back to the Super Bowl since taking down Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers in 2013.

Reigning MVP

Josh Allen is among league’s best quarterbacks, and the Buffalo Bills should repeat as AFC East champions.

WINSLOW TOWNSON/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

AFC South

Houston Texans. C.J. Stroud wasn’t the same miracle worker last season that he was in a fabulous rookie season, but the Texans under DeMeco Ryans are still the class of a suspect division.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills. Sean McDermott is one of the NFL’s most underrated coaches. The Bills don’t have a star-studded roster but are better than the sum of their parts. Reigning league MVP Josh Allen is among the top five NFL quarterbacks, no matter who is doing the ranking.

Wild cards

Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots. All Cincinnati needs to make the postseason is a healthy Joe Burrow. It didn’t happen the past two seasons, and the Bengals missed the playoffs both years. The Raiders added some juice with former Seahawks head coach and 49ers nemesis Pete Carroll, an explosive rookie runner in Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and a competent game manager (that’s a good thing, remember?) in Geno Smith at quarterback. Something just feels right about Mike Vrabel being back with the Patriots.

On the outside looking in

Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike Tomlin is in his 19th year and has never had a losing season, but that streak is in jeopardy. Look for an 8-9 record this season, even with former Packers star Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Tomlin will still be in demand to coach elsewhere in 2026.

Denver Broncos: We will be surprised if Denver gets 20 games combined out of former 49ers Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, who combined to play 34 games the past two seasons because of injuries.

Fearless football forecasts

BY JERRY MCDONALD

With the same media panel of voters, it didn’t seem to make much sense that Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson would be voted the first-team All-Pro quarterback with Bills QB Josh Allen winning the Most Valuable Player.

And yet it makes perfect sense if you take a few seconds and think about it.

Baltimore had eight players selected to the Pro Bowl aside from Jackson. Buffalo had Allen and no one else.

Jackson had better numbers — 4,172 yards passing, 41 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 915 yards rushing and four touchdowns — and was deservingly first-team All-Pro. He led his team to a 12-5 record.

Allen passed for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. He rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led his team to a 13-4 record.

Allen did more with less in terms of a supporting cast.

In this case, splitting the All-Pro/MVP vote made perfect sense.

Will it happen again?

Here is a look at what to expect in the NFL this season:

Super Bowl winner

Buffalo Bills: This time Allen and Co. not only will get past Kansas City for a change — the Bills’ season has ended in the playoffs against the Chiefs in four of the past five seasons, including a 32-29 heartbreaker in last year’s AFC championship game — but deliver a firstever Super Bowl win over . . . . believe it or not, the 49ers.

MVP

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati: The league is full of new era passing/running threats such as Jackson, Allen, the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and last year’s rookie sensation, Jayden Daniels of Washington. Operating from the pocket is getting to be a lost art, but no one does it better than Burrow.

Offensive Player of the Year

Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati: At the other

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, now with a new head coach in Pete Carroll, could be on track for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

RICK SCUTERI/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

end of many of Burrow’s passes will be Chase, who had 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. He’s the gold standard at wide receiver in the NFL.

Defensive Player of the Year

Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas: This was my prediction a year ago as well. I’m making it again, believing a now-healthy Crosby paired with a Pete Carroll defense will be a perfect match.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas: The stout powerhouse — he’s 5-foot-8, 216 pounds — had 275 carries for 2,062 yards and 27 touchdowns at Boise State and was second in the Heisman Trophy race. Go ahead and pencil in the No. 6 overall pick out of Boise State for 1,500plus rushing yards and double-figure touchdowns as the central figure in the Raiders’ offense.

for 2025

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Abdul Carter, N.Y. Giants: The last time the Giants had a defensive end and the No. 3 overall pick with this much talent was Michael Strahan.

Coach of the Year

Kyle Shanahan, 49ers: Shanahan’s teams are expected to be good, so he’s usually not a realistic candidate. But last year’s 6-11 nosedive sets him up for a worst-to-first turnaround in the NFC West.

Comeback player of the year

Christian McCaffrey, 49ers: My heart tells me former 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw will have a big year with Denver. My head tells me he’s more likely to break down than McCaffrey. I would love to be wrong on this one. Greenlaw’s return from a torn left Achilles against the Rams in Week 14 that saw him rack up three solo tackles and five assisted tackles in 30 snaps before going out again (this time with a calf injury) was the highlight of the 49ers season.

Fearless 49ers forecast

Here’s a secret — this offseason the 49ers lost a lot of players they fully intended to lose and put their money back into stars such as Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Fred Warner. If those three remain healthy and the infusion of youth develops quickly, 6-11 becomes 11-6 or better.

The question for the Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, right, is if Rodgers can leave the circus behind and put up one last big year under Mike Tomlin.

GENE J. PUSKAR/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rodgers and Pittsburgh

Aaron Rodgers, even at 41, is the most talented passer the Steelers have had since Ben Roethlisberger, who retired in 2021. The question is if Rodgers can leave the circus behind and put up one last big year under Mike Tomlin. There might be more left in the former Cal star’s tank: Returning from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered on the fourth snap of his Jets tenure in 2023, Rodgers started 17 games last season and passed for 3,897 yards and 28 TDs. He finished eighth in the league in passing yards and tied league MVP Allen for seventh in TD passes.

Game of the Year

Week 4, Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs: Lamar Jackson thinks he should have won the MVP last season, and Patrick Mahomes will be motivated to win No. 3 after he and the Chiefs stumbled in the Super Bowl.

Two-way Travis

The Jacksonville Jaguars took Travis Hunter with the second pick in the draft and appear intent on allowing him to play on offense (wide receiver) and defense (cornerback), as he did at the University of Colorado. Are they being sincere? Or will Hunter get the kind of token effort the Raiders gave Charles Woodson to be a two-way player in the late 1990s-early 2000s?

First coach fired

Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland: The whole quarterback thing — signing Joe Flacco and then drafting Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this spring — was just plain strange. It can’t be conducive to coaching stability. The Browns twice have won 11 games in five seasons under Stefanski, but are 40-44 overall and coming off a 14-loss season.

Offensive moves that will mean the most in 2025

The Rams signed Davante Adams to pair with fellow receiver Puka Nacua for Matthew Stafford, who is the best pure passer Adams has had since Aaron Rodgers was winning MVPs with Green Bay. The Chicago Bears made a commitment to quarterback Caleb Williams by signing three-time Pro Bowl guard Joe Thuney, drafting 6-foot-8 tackle Ozzy Trapilo and signing center Drew Dalman in free agency. Williams was sacked a staggering 68 times last season as a rookie, tied for the thirdmost in NFL history and just eight behind the NFL record absorbed by David Carr, Derek’s older brother, in 2002.

Defensive moves that will mean the most in 2025

The New England Patriots paid top dollar ($104 million over four years, with $63 million guaranteed) for defensive end Milton Williams. The 26-year-old former Eagle is more of a set-the-edge type than a pass rusher but will be difficult to move in Mike Vrabel’s defense. Minnesota hopes to milk the last bit of football out of veteran defensive tackles Jonathan Allen (30) and Javon Hargrave (32), a pair of veteran defensive tackles who were released by Washington and the 49ers, respectively, after last season.

Players under fulltime injury watch

Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy lost his rookie season to a torn ACL and will replace Sam Darnold for a division winning team. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott was limited to eight games last season because he tore a hamstring off the bone. Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga couldn’t stay on the field for the 49ers and are hoping for better luck with the Broncos.

Ranking the impact of new NFL head coaches

1. Ben Johnson, Chicago; 2. Pete Carroll, Las Vegas; 3. Mike Vrabel, New England; 4, Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas; 5. Liam Coen, Jacksonville; 6. Aaron Glenn, N.Y. Jets; 7, Kellen Moore, New Orleans.

If you’re looking for 49ers players during the offseason, the golf course is a good place to start

BY CAM INMAN

Football takes precedence for the 49ers these next six months.

That won’t stop them from shooting a barrage of basketballs at the locker room’s 10-foot rim during breaks.

But another popular sport is out of sight, out of mind until time allows next offseason: golf.

More and more 49ers are taking their hacks at a tiny, dimpled white ball, after tackling opposing pigskin holders on Sundays in the fall.

Of the Niners’ 90-man offseason roster, more than 40 were trying to keep their front-nine scores under 40, so to speak.

And that doesn’t count golf hound Robert Saleh, who is back as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator after four years away from the Bay Area tee boxes as the New York Jets’ head coach.

Entering the golf chat this offseason was Nick Bosa, the 49ers’ premier defensive end. Not surprisingly, the 27-year-old five-time Pro

49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, left, chats with tight end George Kittle, center, and left tackle Trent Taylor at Carmel Valley Ranch in May. Dozens of teammates are getting more serious about the sport in the off-season.

STEFANIE CHIGULURI/49ERS

Bowler has been a quick study.

“Bosa’s great. He already broke 90. He is very controlled,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. “He did it right, where he got lessons first. Whereas everyone else, like, you play for a number of years, and then it’s like, ‘Maybe I should get lessons,’ but then you already have all these bad habits. He’s very technical.

“He just started in January. It’s insane.”

Bosa is just the latest 49ers player to get serious about golf.

When the 49ers hosted their annual Golden Gateway fundraiser near Carmel in May, their players turned out in droves, and dozens took part in the golf tournament. The group included wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who was still recovering from last season’s right-knee reconstruction. Aiyuk wore a compression sleeve on his right leg, a backward white cap on his head and had a cigar in his mouth, all while playing alongside quarterback Brock Purdy and tight end George Kittle.

Later in the summer, Kittle was an instant fan favorite when he debuted in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe.

“I’m not a professional golfer, and some of the places people

Bottom, Trent Taylor, George Kittle, Kyle Juszczyk, Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy and Brandon Aiyuk stop

Top: Fullback Kyle Juszczyk takes a swing before the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada, this summer.

EAKIN HOWARD/GETTY IMAGES

for a photo as they play golf at Carmel Valley Ranch in early May.

STEFANIE CHIGULURI/ 49ERS

line up here when I’m on the tee box is just crazy to me,” said Kittle, who finished 81st in the 90-player field.

Juszczyk tied for 59th — with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and former NBA star Vince Carter — in his second straight Tahoe appearance.

Kittle had rebuffed previous invitations to play in the tournament until he got more serious about golf. Helping turn that tide was a 2023 Christmas gift he and some other teammates received from Christian McCaffrey. After one practice around the holidays that season, each of the 49ers’ offensive players found a personalized golf bag and a voucher for a complimentary fitting for clubs waiting at their locker, courtesy of the star running back.

“I had some other clubs, but I used to just play in Cabo (San Lucas, Mexico) after the season,” Kittle said. “Now I’m playing two times a week, which is a blast.”

Left tackle Trent Williams snatched up multiple sets of

clubs once he got hooked on golf two years ago.

“We went to Cabo in the offseason with Kyle (Shanahan) and Mike (Shanahan) and Juice (Kyle Juszczyk), and everybody was down there. Everybody knew how to golf but me and Deebo (Samuel),” Williams said. “They put a club in my hand. That challenge just sparked a fire in me.

“Dealing with sports things, I hadn’t really met a bunch of stuff I couldn’t do. Golf was one of them. I couldn’t sleep with that. I had to figure out a way to get better.”

But it’s not all just fun and games. Golf is a method the 49ers use to study NFL Draft candidates.

In recent years, when prospects visit before the draft, the 49ers pit them against each other at the nearby TopGolf facility to observe their competitive instincts and teambonding ability.

Golf is not new to the 49ers franchise, of course.

After quarterback John Bro-

die’s distinguished tenure with the team from 1957-73, he joined the Senior PGA Tour. Brodie posted one win (the 1991 Security Pacific Classic in Los Angeles) and had a dozen top-10 finishes.

Hall of Famer Jerry Rice also made a run at a second career as a pro golfer, and he’s been a regular in Tahoe, finishing as high as 10th in 2009 at the American Century Championship. Rice has played there since 1996, the only exception coming during his 2001 transition from the 49ers to the Raiders.

Dozens of former 49ers showed up in June at Pleasanton’s Ruby Hill Golf & Country Club as Keena Turner hosted his 30th tournament to benefit Tracy’s Boys & Girls Clubs.

Who are the 49ers’ top current golfers?

Kittle praised Juszczyk, McCaffrey, even Bosa, of whom he said: “Everything about him looks lackadaisical, and so that’s his golf swing. It’s always so smooth and easy.”

Of the newbies to the game, Kittle might be the most smitten.

The six-time Pro Bowl tight end became so enchanted with golf that he hopped on a mower and converted part of his 75-acre Nashville property into a sixhole loop.

Kittle arrived in Tahoe this summer with one of the most unconventional putting stances in golf, with him hunched over and his back almost parallel to the green.

“I think he watched Happy Gilmore,” Juszczyk quipped, referencing comedian Adam Sandler’s classic golf movie. “No, he’s a great putter. He can smash the ball off the tee. George is good for one 40- to 50-foot putt per round. He’s the best scramble putter in the world because he’s got those wow! shots.”

Such is a golfer’s banter. Until the next round.

Quarterback Brock Purdy, top, takes a break while Coach Kyle Shanahan, above, looks out over the course during a recent golf game with teammates at Carmel Valley Ranch.

STEFANIE CHIGULURI/49ERS

60 for LX

Everything you always wanted to know about the Super Bowl — and were not afraid to ask

BY CAM INMAN

All eyes will be on the Bay Area when Super Bowl 60 — or LX for traditionalists — is played at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8. To help you get ready, here are 60 stats, facts and did-you-knows about the history of the NFL’s biggest game of the year — with a healthy lean into the 49ers’ substantial Super Bowl past.

1 To 49ers fans, it seems like an eternity since the Red and Gold won its last Super Bowl. But 30 years isn’t so bad compared to some other droughts. The Jets have gone 55 years since “Broadway Joe” Namath delivered on his guarantee to win Super Bowl III. It’s also been a longer wait for the Miami Dolphins (51), Oakland/Los Angeles/Las Vegas Raiders (41), Chicago Bears (39) and Washington Commanders (33). If it’s any consolation, 49ers fans, the Dallas Cowboys have gone 29 years without another Super Bowl win, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have gone 16 years since they won their record sixth ring.

2 On the other hand, there are four franchises still looking to play in the Big Game: The Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars. (All are on the 49ers’ 2025 schedule.)

3 What’s worse, never getting to the Super Bowl or never winning it? Eight teams took their shot and missed — a couple several times. The Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings have had four chances each and have yet to come home with the trophy. Also on the miss list are the Cincinnati Bengals (0-3), Atlanta Falcons (0-2), Carolina Panthers (0-2), Arizona Cardinals (0-1), Los Angeles Chargers (0-1) and Tennessee Titans (0-1).

4

Losing a Super Bowl is never easy. The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots have done it more than any other team: five losses each. The Bills and Vikings have lost four Super Bowls, and three-time losers include the 49ers, Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Bengals, Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles.

5 Pittsburgh and New England have won the title six times: The Steelers in 1975, ’76, ’79, ’80, 2006 and ’09, and the Patriots in 2002, ’04, ’05, ’15, ’17 and ’19. One behind, with five, are the 49ers (1982, ’85, ’89, ’90 and ’95) and the Cowboys (1972, ’78, ’93, ’94 and ’96).

6

It is difficult enough to reach the Super Bowl. But to string together consecutive appearances is something special. Nobody did it better than the Bills, who went to four straight Super Bowls from 1990-93. But the cruel twist was that they lost each time.

7 The Chiefs lost in last year’s game after winning the previous two, and the only other teams to play in three straight Super Bowls are the Dolphins (1972-74) and the Patriots (2017-19).

The New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers have won the most Super Bowls, with six each. The 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys are one behind with five.

PATRICK SEMANSKY/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bowl (5), Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium (5) and Pasadena’s Rose Bowl (5).

9 Among the cities in the West, the Los Angeles area has hosted the most Super Bowls, eight. That’s a distant third to Miami and New Orleans (11 each).

10 Santa Clara will come off the list of one-time Super Bowl cities in February, 10 years after hosting Super Bowl 50. The sites of the 49ers’ first two Super Bowl wins — Palo Alto (the game was played at Stanford Stadium in 1985) and Pontiac, Michigan (1982) — are among the one-timers, along with Arlington, Texas (2011); Detroit (2006); East Rutherford, New Jersey (2014); Indianapolis (2012); Inglewood (2022); Jacksonville, Florida (2005); and Tempe, Arizona (1996).

8

Levi’s Stadium is hosting the Super Bowl for the second time, and it’s somewhat rare when the game isn’t played in a Southern state. The New Orleans Superdome has been the most popular site, with eight Super Bowls. Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium has hosted six, followed by Miami’s Orange

11 If it seems like the Super Bowl used to be played earlier, you are right. The Oakland Raiders beat the Vikings at the Rose Bowl in a Super Bowl that was played on Jan. 9, 1977.

12

This year’s game will be played on Feb. 8, but that’s not the latest date a Super Bowl has been played. In 2022, the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals the day before Valentine’s Day: Feb. 13. A Super Bowl hasn’t been played this “early” in February in five years.

13

Super Bowl Sunday can be a significant time commitment for fans, considering all the breaks for commercials and the pageantry. For the most part, the action on the field moves at the usual pace. The game has gone into overtime just twice, when the Patriots beat the Falcons in Super Bowl 51 and the Chiefs’ comeback win over the 49ers in Super Bowl 58.

14 The Super Bowl attracts more than 100 million viewers worldwide, but what about fans in the stands? The Guinness World Records lists the largest crowd as the 103,985 fans who watched the Steelers beat the Rams in Super Bowl 14 at the Rose Bowl in 1980. The largest in the last 30 years was at Super Bowl 45, 103,219 at Cowboys Stadium for the PackersSteelers in 2011.

15 Super Bowl attendance records are safe for at least another year: Capacity at Levi’s Stadium for the game is 75,000.

16

The lowest-attended Super Bowl was in 2021, when 24,835 fans showed up at 65,890-seat Raymond James Stadium in Tampa to watch the Buccaneers beat the Chiefs. Attendance was limited to 25,000 fans — and 30,000 cardboard cutouts — because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

17

The 49ers could join an exclusive group if they win the Super Bowl this year. Only the Buccaneers (in 2021) and Los Angeles Rams (in 2022) have won a Super Bowl on their home field.

18 Levi’s Stadium’s typical capacity is 68,500 but it can be expanded to 75,000 for special events. Attendance for Super Bowl 50 was 71,088 (under sunny skies and 76 degrees at a 3:39 p.m. kickoff).

19 Even with a completely packed house, Levi’s attendance record probably won’t be broken: An Ed Sheeran concert attracted 78,881 fans in September 2023.

20 If the 49ers make the Super Bowl, the home-field advantage could be significant. The 49ers clinched the NFC Championship and an accompanying Super Bowl berth twice at Levi’s Stadium, in the 2019 season (37-20 over Green Bay before 72,211 fans) and 2023 season (34-31 over Detroit before 71,824 fans).

21 Levi’s Stadium will be the first venue to host a Super Bowl and World Cup soccer games in the same year. Group-stage games are set for June 13, 16, 19, 22 and 25, plus a July 1 Round of 32 game. Ten other NFL stadiums will also host World Cup action next summer.

22 The 49ers are entering their 12th season at Levi’s Stadium, after playing from 1970-2013 at Candlestick Park and 1946-70 at Kezar Stadium.

23 Super Bowl 50 generated $250 million for the Bay Area economy, and this Super Bowl is expected to generate close to $370 million, according to the 49ers.

24

Nobody has spent more time in the end zone during Super Bowls than Jerry Rice. The Hall of Fame receiver has scored a Super Bowl record eight touchdowns, the first seven with the 49ers and then one with the Raiders in their Super Bowl 37 loss to Tampa Bay.

25

Six players have scored three touchdowns in one Super Bowl, and three of them were with the 49ers. Rice did it twice (Super Bowls 24 and 29), and Roger Craig (Super Bowl 19)

The 49ers’ Jerry Rice holds the Super Bowl record, with eight career touchdown receptions. He scored three in the 49ers’ 55-10 blowout of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 24.

MICHAEL RONDOU/ STAFF ARCHIVES

and Rickey Watters (Super Bowl 29) did it once. The other three-TD scorers were Terrell Davis for the Broncos in Super Bowl 32, the Patriots’ James White in Super Bowl 51 and the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts in Super Bowl 57.

26 According to legend, then-NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle wanted to call the just-established AFC-NFC championship game “The Big One.” But late Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt offered up “Super Bowl,” a play off the bouncy Super Ball toy. The name — and the game — stuck.

27 Jerry Rice has three Super Bowl rings, and no receiver can match his impact. Rice holds nine Super Bowl records: career touchdowns (8), touchdowns in a game (3), career receiving yards (589), receiving yards in a game (215), receiving touchdowns (career and game), career yards from scrimmage (604) and career points 48).

28 Legendary 49ers quarterback Joe Montana couldn’t have been much more efficient in his Super Bowl appearances. Montana guided his teams to wins in all four of his appearances and holds the career passer rating record of 127.8 (a perfect rating is 158.3). His streak of 122 consecutive passes without an interception likely never will be broken.

29

Do quarterbacks get too much of the blame for a Super Bowl loss and too much credit for a win?

Through the first 59 games, a quarterback has been named the MVP 34 times — and that includes a stretch of six straight games from 1973-78 when the award went to a non-QB.

30 Of the six players with multiple Super Bowl MVPs, all are quarterbacks: Tom Brady (5), Joe Montana and Patrick Mahomes (3) and Terry Bradshaw, Eli Manning and Bart Starr, with two apiece.

31

Serra High’s Brady played more than a half-season of Super Bowls (10) before he retired. It’s no surprise he owns most of the career

Steve Young celebrates with his team after the San Francisco 49ers won Super Bowl XXIX against the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl 29 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. Young threw six TD passes, a Super Bowl record.

DINO VOURNAS/ STAFF ARCHIVES

quarterback records. Brady is the record holder for Super Bowl passing attempts (career and single game), completions (career and single game), passing yards (3,039 in his career and 505 in a game) and career passing touchdowns (21).

32

One of the few passing records Brady doesn’t own is TDs in a game. Steve Young threw six for the 49ers in Super Bowl 29.

33 Perhaps most impressive of Brady’s career Super Bowl stats is that only six of his 421 career attempts were intercepted. John Elway holds the record for throwing the most career Super Bowl interceptions, with eight in 152 attempts over five games.

34 The Super Bowl was pretty much business as usual for the always steady Emmitt Smith. The former Cowboys star played in three, and his 289 rushing yards were hardly eyeraising, but he holds the record with five career rushing TDs, and his teams never lost in the Big Game.

35 Part of the appeal of the Super Bowl is that most players are not like Brady or Montana, and the opportunity to shine on the largest stage doesn’t come around often — if at all. Rod Martin made his moment count in Super Bowl 15, intercepting a record three passes in the Raiders’ win over the Eagles. Martin played 12 seasons with the Raiders and made the Pro Bowl twice, and in 165 regular-season games only had 11 career interceptions (his season-best was four). The Super Bowl was the only time he had multiple picks in a game, and he didn’t have any in his other 11 career playoff games.

36 Offensive players can rise to the moment, too. James White was a versatile running back with the Patriots who averaged 60 receptions from 2015-20. He set the Super Bowl record with 14 receptions in Super Bowl 51 but never had more than 10 in a regularseason game.

37 The Steelers’ Willie Parker provided one of the most exciting starts to a second half — and a Super Bowl record — when, on the second play following the Rolling Stones’ three-song set (“Start Me Up”, “Rough Justice”, and “Satisfaction”) in Super Bowl 40, he raced 75 yards for a touchdown to give the Steelers a 14-3 lead they never relinquished.

38 Panthers wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad set a Super Bowl record by turning Jake Delhomme’s long sideline heave into an 85-yard touchdown reception against the Patriots in 2004. The play gave the Panthers a 22-21 lead with less than seven minutes remaining but became a footnote when the teams traded the lead twice in the final 2:51 before New England ended it with Adam Vinatieri’s 41-yard field goal with four seconds left.

39 Another big effort that went for naught in the Panthers’ 32-29 loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl 38 was linebacker Dan Morgan, who set a record with 18 tackles. The entire

Carolina defense got a workout that day, combining to make 107 tackles and spending nearly 40 minutes on the field. The Panthers’ Mike Minter had 14 tackles, third most in Super Bowl history — and Will Witherspoon had 13.

40 L.C. Greenwood was a pivotal but sometimes overlooked member of the Steelers’ famed Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s, but there was no missing him in Super Bowl 10, when he sacked Cowboys star Roger Staubach a record four times.

41 Although few of Jerry Rice’s records have been matched, Kansas City star tight end Travis Kelce passed the former 49ers star last year by boosting his career receptions total to 35.

42 It’s not uncommon to see a regular-season game settled on a field-goal attempt in the final seconds. Only two kickers have won a Super Bowl with a last-second field goal. Jim O’Brien’s 32-yarder lifted the Colts past the Cowboys 16-13 in Super Bowl 5, and the Patriots’ Vinatieri did it twice: a 48-yarder against the Rams in Super Bowl 36 and a 41-yarder with four seconds remaining to beat the Panthers two years later.

43 Only one game has been decided by a game-ending missed field-goal attempt: Scott Norwood’s “wide right” miss of a 47-yard attempt that preserved Super Bowl 25 for the New York Giants.

45 Unlike many franchise quarterbacks, running backs haven’t had the same staying power in the Super Bowl. The career record for Super Bowl rushing yards is 354 by Franco Harris, who played in — and won — four, all with the Steelers. Harris racked up nearly half of that total, 158 yards, in his first Super Bowl game.

44 The 49ers had done a better job than most about keeping their kickers busy during Super Bowls. Doug Brien (1995) and Mike Cofer (1990) hold the record, along with the Cowboys’ Lin Elliott in 1993, with seven extra points in a game.

46 Harris’ record could be safe for a while. Mahomes, the Chiefs’ quarterback, is the only active player in the top 10 with 197 rushing yards.

47 Cal holds a unique spot in Super Bowl lore: The Bears have produced more quarterbacks who have started in the game than any other college. Jared Goff is the most recent former Bear to start the Big Game, leading the Rams to Super Bowl 53 in 2019. Goff, now with the Lions, followed

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrates after throwing the winning touchdown pass in overtime to beat the 49ers 25-22 in Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas. The only other Super Bowl that has gone into overtime was Super Bowl 51, when the Patriots beat the Falcons.

KYUSUNG GONG/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

in the footsteps of Aaron Rodgers (the only former Bear QB to win a Super Bowl, earning MVP honors with the Packers in 2011), Vince Ferragamo (who played his final two seasons at Nebraska), Craig Morton (who started two Super Bowls) and the QB that started it all, Joe Kapp for the Vikings in Super Bowl 4. Alabama is second with four.

48 One of the biggest one-hit wonders in Super Bowl history was Timmy Smith. The rookie came out of nowhere to rush for a record 204 yards for Washington in Super Bowl 22 but was out of the league two years later.

49 One of the best Super Bowl examples of the NFL’s offensive evolution from smash-mouth to wide open offenses is John Riggins. The former Washington star set the record with 38 rushing attempts in Super Bowl

17. Dallas’ Emmitt Smith is the last rusher to carry the ball 30 times in a Super Bowl, and that was in 1994.

50 Jalen Hurts won last year’s Super Bowl with his arms and his legs, but that should not have been a surprise. In the Eagles quarterback’s Super Bowl debut in 2023, he rushed for three TDs, tying the Broncos’ Davis from Super Bowl 32.

51 Among the items located in the team museum in Levi’s Stadium’s north end, prominently displayed in its own glass case, is a football suspended in midair. That’s “The Catch” ball that Dwight Clark caught for a go-ahead touchdown to clinch the 49ers’ first Super Bowl berth, in the 1980 season’s NFC Championship win over Dallas at Candlestick Park.

52 Just 10 players (only three on offense) from the 49ers’ five Super Bowl-winning teams are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Fred Dean, Richard Dent, Charles Haley, Rickey Jackson, Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana, Rice, Deion Sanders, Bryant Young, and Steve Young, plus owner Eddie DeBartolo and coach Bill Walsh.

53

Ticket prices have jumped from $12 for the first Super Bowl to as much as $9,915 for Super Bowl 57 between the Chiefs and the Eagles. A year later, it dropped to $9,400 for the tilt in Las Vegas, where the 49ers fell in overtime to the Chiefs. Last season’s average price for the Chiefs-Eagles matchup was $6,304, according to Yahoo Sports.

54 NBC will broadcast this season’s Super Bowl on Feb. 8, 2026; ABC gets next season’s (Feb. 14, 2027), then Super Bowl 62 will air via CBS (its record 23rd broadcast) before the four-network rotation rolls to Fox for Super Bowl 63.

55 Television changed the Super Bowl, and the Super Bowl changed how football was presented on TV. John Madden, five years after he coached the Raiders to a Super Bowl win, was the first broadcaster to utilize the Telestrator during Super Bowl 16, the 49ers’ first Super Bowl win. The ability to draw on the screen and simplify complex plays became Madden’s calling card for decades.

56 Madden and Pat Summerall paired for a record eight Super Bowl broadcasts. Madden also did three with Al Michaels, whose 11 play-by-play assignments tie with Summerall for the most and are followed by Dick Enberg (eight), Jim Nantz (seven), Curt Gowdy (seven) and Joe Buck (six). Color commentators trailing Madden are Phil Simms (eight), Troy Aikman (six), Cris Collinsworth (five) and Merlin Olsen (five).

57 Madden’s final broadcast was Super Bowl 43 in 2009 between the Cardinals and the Steelers. He was part of more than 500 broadcasts during his career in the booth.

58 The NFL likely won’t reveal this year’s halftime performer until mid-September. The performers at Super Bowl 50 included Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars.

59 Entering training camp, the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles were the favorite to win Super Bowl 60 (+650), followed by the Ravens (+700), Bills (+700), Chiefs (+800), Lions (+1,000), Commanders (+1,800), 49ers (+2,000), Bengals (+2,000) and Rams (+2,000), per BetMGM.

60 The biggest longshots to win Super Bowl 60 coming into the season were the Saints (+30,000), Giants (+25,000), Browns (+25,000), Jets (+20,000) and Titans (+20,000).

and

for a record eighth — and final — Super Bowl broadcast in 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome.

RIC

FELD/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bottom: Pat Summerall, left,

John Madden paired

Top: Beyoncé, Chris Martin of Coldplay and Bruno Mars, left to right, performed during halftime of Super Bowl 50 between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers at Levi’s Stadium in 2016.

JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO/STAFF ARCHIVES

8 and counting

Niners fans have waited 30 years to see the team hoist the Lombardy Trophy again; until they do, here’s a look at all Red and Gold Super Bowl trips

BY JERRY MCDONALD

A funny thing happened after the Super Bowl window appeared to slam shut on the 49ers in 2024.

It opened back up again.

After the team plummeted to last place in the NFC West last season amid injuries, tragedy and distractions, coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have put Humpty Dumpty back together again, to the point where sports books have actually made the 49ers division favorites.

That makes the 49ers at least a possibility to be at home on Feb. 8, when Levi’s Stadium plays host to Super Bowl LX.

Maybe that will be the key to the 49ers snapping what fans feel has been an eternal title drought.

After winning their first five Super Bowl appearances (over the course of just 14 years), it’s been a championship drought since the 1994 season and a blowout win over the San Diego Chargers. That’s a span of 30 seasons during which 14 other teams have won Super Bowls.

The 49ers have had their chances, three of them, but lost each time.

Here’s a review of the 49ers’ Super Bowl legacy:

Craig Puki (54) and Ronnie Lott (42) celebrate after helping stop the Bengals at the one-yard-line on fourth down, one of the biggest moments in the 49ers’ Super Bowl 16 win over the Bengals in Pontiac, Michigan.

ED KOLENOVSKY/ASSOCIATED PRESS

XVI

Jan. 24, 1982

Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan

49ers 26, Cincinnati 21

How they got there: They won the NFC West with a 13-3 record, then beat the New York Giants 38-24 in division playoff and Dallas 28-27 in conference championship, with both games at Candlestick Park

What happened: The 49ers jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead in their Super Bowl debut and then held on for dear life. They forced four turnovers, including a squib kick fumble by Archie Griffin just before halftime that led to the second of four Ray Wersching field goals.

By the numbers: Super Bowl MVP Joe Montana completed 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions; Ricky Patton rushed for 55 yards on 17 carries, and Freddie Solomon had four receptions for 52 yards. The Bengals’ Ken Anderson completed 25 of 44 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice.

The big play: On fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line, with the 49ers leading 20-7 and 1:45 left in the third quarter, Bengals fullback Pete Johnson was stopped for no gain by Jack Reynolds and Archie Reece. The 49ers also stopped a firstand-goal at the 3 (Johnson at the 1 by John Choma), second-and-goal at the 1 (Reynolds again) and third-and-goal at the 1 (Charles Alexander stuffed on a swing pass by Dan Bunz).

Quotable: “We’re a team of character. You could see it in our goal-line stand, in the way we played all day. I’m sure a lot of people still aren’t convinced. The scouts don’t see great talent here. Most of them picked the Bengals to win.” — 49ers coach Bill Walsh

XIX

Jan. 20, 1985

Stanford Stadium

49ers 38, Miami 16

How they got there: They won the NFC West with a 15-1 record, then beat the New York Giants 21-10 in division playoff and Chicago 23-0 in conference championship, with both games at Candlestick Park.

What happened: Even with the 49ers having lost just one game in the regular season and dominating both of their playoff games, the buzz was all about Miami and second-year quarterback Dan Marino. But the 49ers were at “home” in Palo Alto and practiced for the game at their own facility. They dominated on both sides of the ball, running up 537 yards of offense behind Super Bowl MVP Joe Montana.

By the numbers: Marino was 29-for-50 passing for 318 yards and a touchdown but threw two interceptions as well as being sacked four times. His top target was running back Tony Nathan, who had 10 receptions for 83 yards. Montana completed 24 of his 35 attempts for 331 yards and three touchdowns. Wendell Tyler rushed 13 times for 65 yards and caught four passes for another 70 yards. Roger Craig had seven receptions.

The big play: Montana took apart the Dolphins by throwing to his running backs Tyler and Craig, but the connection that got the 49ers rolling was a surprise. Carl Monroe, a little-used secondyear back, caught a swing pass for a 33-yard touchdown for the 49ers’ first touchdown, and the rout was on.

Quotable: “Deep down, we all felt it. All we heard was ‘Miami, Miami, how are you going to stop Miami?’ Yeah, yeah, we were overlooked a little.” — Montana

XXIII

Jan. 22, 1989

Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami

49ers 20, Cincinnati 16

How they got there: They won the NFC West with a 10-6 record; then beat Minnesota 41-13 in a division playoff game at Candlestick Park and beat Chicago 28-3 in the conference championship at Soldier Field.

What happened: Trailing 16-13 with 3:04 to play, Montana drove the 49ers 92 yards in 10 plays, culminating in a 10yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds to play. It was the final NFL game coached by Bill Walsh, who broke down when asked about it post-game by announcer Brent Musburger.

By the numbers: Ickey Woods rushed 20 carries for 77 yards, but the Bengals star never got a chance to do his “Ickey Shuffe” touchdown dance. Stafford Jennings did return a kick 93 yards for a touchdown that gave the Bengals a 13-6 lead late in the third quarter. Montana completed 23 of 36 attempts for 357

Running back

Wendell Tyler rushed for a game-high 65 yards and caught four passes for 70 more yards in the 49ers’ win over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl 19. The win at Stanford Stadium was the 49ers’ second Super Bowl title in three years. The 49ers went 18-1 overall that season, their only loss coming in Week 7, when the Steelers rallied for a 20-17 win at Candlestick Park.

AP PHOTO

yards and two TDs. Jerry Rice, who was named the MVP, caught 11 passes for 215 yards and a TD in the fourth quarter that tied the score at 13-13.

The big play: There were numerous big plays on the last drive, but a first-quarter hit by Ronnie Lott heavily influenced the outcome. Woods had gained 27 yards on his first four rushes when he was met head-on by Lott with two minutes left in the first quarter. Woods was a non-factor for the remainder of the game.

Quotable: “Isn’t that John Candy?” — Montana to 49ers offensive lineman Harris Barton in the huddle, diffusing the tension during the game-winning drive by pointing out the actor/comedian near the field.

Minnesota 41-13 in a division playoff game and Los Angeles Rams 30-3 in the conference championship, both at Candlestick Park.

What happened: The 49ers annihilated the Broncos in conquering the postseason under first-year head coach George Seifert, outscoring three opponents 126-26. The 49ers defense harassed a shaky John Elway (19.4 passer rating) into his worst Super Bowl performance.

By the numbers: Montana earned his second Super Bowl MVP award, completing 22 of 29 attempts for 297 yards, and five touchdowns. Craig had 20 carries for 69 yards and Rice had seven catches for 148 yards and 3 TDs. Elway completed just 10 of his 26 pass attempts for 108, was intercepted twice and sacked four times.

The big play: Denver safety and future Hall of Famer Steve Atwater came in with a reputation as a big hitter. On the 49ers’ first series, he attempted to level Rice, who simply bounced off the tackle attempt and scored on a 20-yard touchdown. The 49ers were off and running.

Quotable: “If they’d left our first offense in for four quarters, we might have scored 200.” — 49ers linebacker Matt Millen

XXIX

Jan. 29, 1995

Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami

49ers 49, San Diego 26

Jan. 28, 1990, Superdome, New Orleans 49ers 55, Broncos 10

How they got there: They won the NFC West with a 14-2 record, then beat

How they got there: They won the NFC West with a 13-3 record, then beat Chicago 44-15 in a divisional playoff game and Dallas 38-28 in the conference championship, both at Candlestick Park.

What happened: Super Bowl MVP Steve Young threw a record-setting six touchdown passes against the

overmatched Chargers. The game had an anti-climactic feel following an emotional win over the Cowboys to win the NFC title after playoff losses to Dallas the previous two seasons.

By the numbers: The Chargers’ Stan Humphries passed for 275 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted twice. Steve Young completed 24 of his 36 pass attempts for 325 yards and rushed for 49 more yards. Jerry Rice caught half of Young’s TD passes (three) and had 10 catches for 149 yards.

The big play: On the third snap of the game, Young hit Rice for a 44-yard touchdown, and the rout was on. The 49ers’ largest lead was 42-10 with eight minutes left in the third quarter.

Quotable: “Someone take the monkey off my back!” — Young on the sideline in the game’s final moments, a shot at critics who said he was an unworthy successor to Montana because he hadn’t won a Super Bowl

XLVII

Feb. 3, 2013

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, New Orleans

Baltimore 34, 49ers 31

How they got there: They won the NFC West with a 11-4-1 record, then beat Green Bay 45-31 in a divisional playoff at Candlestick Park and beat Atlanta 28-24 for the conference championship at the Georgia Dome.

What happened: Back in the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years, the 49ers rallied from a 28-6 deficit following a 34-minute delay due to a power outage to make it 34-29 with 2:39 to play. On first-and-goal at the 7, the 49ers didn’t turn to Frank Gore, whose 33-yard run put the 49ers in position to score, and instead, LeMichael James ran for 2 yards. Then Colin

Kaepernick failed to connect with Michael Crabtree in the end zone three straight times, and the 49ers turned the ball over on downs. The Ravens took a safety for the final margin of victory.

By the numbers: The Ravens’ Joe Flacco was the MVP, passing for 287 yards and three TDs. Future 49er Anquan Boldin had six catches for 104 yards and a score, but the day belonged to Jacoby Jones, who had a 56-yard TD reception and a 108-yard kickoff return for a TD. Kaepernick passed for 302 yards and rushed for 62 more yards. Gore rushed

Ricky Watters got the crowd cheering before Super Bowl 29 at Miami’s Joe Robbie Stadium, but that was just the start. The running back scored three times.

ED REINKE/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

for 110 yards, and Crabtree caught five passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.

The big play: After getting within 3429, Crabtree was jostled in the end zone on the 49ers’ final offensive snap. No penalty flag was thrown, and Baltimore had withstood the 49ers’ rally with a final goalline stand.

Quotable: “”Everybody had their hand on this game. We point the fingers at nobody. We win together, and we lose together, and today we lost it.” — 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis.

LIV

Feb. 2, 2020, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami

Kansas City 31, 49ers 20

How they got there: They won the NFC West with a 13-3 record, beat Minnesota 27-10 in a division playoff game and then beat Green Bay 37-20 in the conference championship game, both at Levi’s Stadium.

What happened: The 49ers gave up

three touchdowns in the final 6:13, as the Chiefs wiped out a 20-10 deficit. The touchdowns came on 1- and 5-yard passes from Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and a 38-yard run by Damian Williams to put the game away.

By the numbers: Mahomes was intercepted twice but passed for 286 yards and the two late touchdown passes. 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo was 20-for-31 for 219 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted twice.

The big play: On third-and-10, with the

Below: Confetti rains down on dejected 49ers defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw after the Chiefs’ shocking overtime win in Super Bowl 58. The 49ers led twice in the fourth quarter of the 25-22 loss.

49ers trailing 24-20 and 1:40 to play at Kansas City’s 49-yard line, Garoppolo bypassed an open Kendrick Bourne in the middle of the field and threw deep to double-covered Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders was open, but the ball was overthrown. Garoppolo was sacked on the next play.

Quotable: We’ll lick our wounds and get over this.” — 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan

LVIII

Feb. 11, 2024

Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas

Kansas City 25, 49ers 22, OT

How they got there: They won the NFC West with a 12-5 record; beat Green Bay 24-21 in a division playoff game and the Detroit Lions 34-31 in the conference championship game, both at Levi’s Stadium.

What happened: The 49ers had the lead twice in the fourth quarter (16-13 and 19-16) and once in overtime (22-19) but fell victim once again to Mahomes. He won the game with a 3-yard pass to Mecole Hardman with three seconds left in OT.

By the numbers: Mahomes was named MVP after passing for 333 yards and two touchdowns as well as rushing nine times for 66 yards. Travis Kelce had nine catches for 93 yards. 49ers QB Brock Purdy passed for 255 yards, and Christian McCaffrey rushed 22 times for 80 yards and caught eight passes for 80 yards, including Purdy’s lone TD pass.

The big play: On fourth-and-1 from the Kansas City 34, with the 49ers leading 22-19 and 6:05 left in overtime, Mahomes kept the game going with an eight-yard keeper. Six minutes — and 58 yards — later, the Chiefs scored the winning touchdown.

Quotable: “That game will always stay with me. It was devastating.” — 49ers linebacker Fred Warner.

Above: The 49ers tried — and failed — to get the ball to Michael Crabtree in the end zone on their final three offensive plays of Super Bowl 47 in New Orleans.

NHAT V. MEYER/STAFF ARCHIVES; JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO/STAFF ARCHIVES

HOME TURF ADVANTAGE

STORY BY MIKE NOWELS

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVIDE BARCO

The Super Bowl’s return to the Bay Area next February is expected to be a huge financial windfall for the region.

The Bay Area Host Committee estimated between $370 million and $630 million in financial impact from the game set for Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. They may not be the favorites after a 6-11 season, but would playing in their own back yard be a boon to the 49ers’ hopes of winning their sixth title in franchise history and first in three decades?

Three previous Super Bowls have involved a team playing in their home region — including the 1984 49ers, who played Super Bowl XIX down the road from Candlestick Park at Stanford Stadium.

So far, no “home” team has ever lost a Super Bowl. If the 49ers surprise to capture an NFC title this season, here’s the relevant history:

SUPER BOWL XIX

Jan. 20, 1985, Stanford Stadium

The NFL’s owners approved the Bay Area’s first Super

Bowl in December 1982, just 11 months after the 49ers won their first title. Stanford Stadium did not have lights or locker rooms at the time, but the school committed to building dressing facilities, and the NFL brought in temporary lights. Candlestick Park and the Oakland Coliseum were deemed too small to host.

“I told the NFL owners last June that San Francisco would roll out the red carpet better than any city in the United States,” San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein said after the announcement.

The 1984 Niners became the first in NFL history to win 15 games in a season, setting them on a course to be the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home market. Joe Montana and the offense gained most of the acclaim, finishing second in the league in scoring, but the defense was stellar. The defensive backfield quartet of Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright, Carlton Williamson and Dwight Hicks were all selected to the Pro Bowl.

The game was a battle of two Hall of Fame quarterbacks: Montana, the established star,

Only three teams in history — led by the Niners — have played the Super Bowl in their own stadium

and Miami’s Dan Marino, the ascendant hotshot after breaking NFL records for passing yards and touchdowns in the regular season.

Marino’s Dolphins scored first and led 10-7 after one quarter, but the Niners outscored them 31-6 the rest of the way, including three consecutive touchdowns in the second quarter. Each was the result of a short field after three-and-outs forced by the 49ers defense.

The Niners set a Super Bowl record with 537 yards of offense. Montana had 331 through the air, 59 on the ground and four total touchdowns, while the San Francisco defense forced Marino into two interceptions and four sacks, holding the Dolphins to 25 passing yards.

Montana was named the game’s MVP, while Marino never made it back to the sport’s biggest stage.

“Dan Marino’s a great young quarterback, but my feeling, our feeling, is that Joe Montana is the greatest quarterback today, maybe the greatest of all time,” 49ers coach Bill Walsh said, according to the New York Times.

SUPER BOWL LV

Feb. 7, 2020, Raymond James Stadium

It took 35 years for another Super Bowl team to play in its home market, and even then, the home-field effect was diminished.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played the Kansas City Chiefs in front of a COVID-limited crowd of 24,835. Tampa hosted its fourth Super Bowl one year after the Chiefs beat the 49ers in Miami to win Super Bowl LIV. A slew of early-season injuries took the Niners out of the NFC race, and the Bucs capitalized.

In Tom Brady’s first season after defecting from New England, he and the Buccaneers went 11-5 to claim a wild-card

spot. They then swept through three road playoff games to earn a home Super Bowl.

The focus was again on the quarterback matchup, as a 43-year-old Brady was facing the reigning Super Bowl MVP in Patrick Mahomes at age 25. It was the Bucs’ defense that made the difference, though.

Without both starting offensive tackles, Mahomes was under constant siege. He took only three sacks but was pressured a Super Bowl-record 29 times and threw two interceptions. The Bucs kept Kansas City out of the end zone in a 31-9 romp.

Ndamukong Suh had 1.5 sacks for Tampa Bay, and Shaquil Barrett recorded four quarterback hits, keeping Mahomes on the run.

Brady hit former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski for two touchdown passes in the first half, and Leonard Fournette contributed 135 total yards and a rushing touchdown.

SUPER BOWL LVI

Feb. 13, 2021, SoFi Stadium

Just over a year later, history repeated, as the Rams made a run to the Super Bowl in their first season playing at the spaceage SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Los Angeles had been in playoff contention since coach Sean McVay arrived in 2017 at the age of 30, but general manager Les Snead took a big swing in early 2021 when he traded former No. 1 draft pick Jared Goff and draft picks to Detroit for big-armed veteran Matthew Stafford.

The gamble paid off.

In Stafford’s first season, the Rams went 12-5 to win the NFC West as the No. 4 seed, then beat Arizona in the wild-card round and used a late-game heave from Stafford to Cooper Kupp to overcome blowing a 24-point lead in Tampa Bay, eliminating the Bucs on a last-second Matt Gay field goal. It was more drama in the NFC title game against the

49ers: Trailing by 10 entering the fourth quarter, the Rams engineered three scoring drives to win 20-17 in a game remembered by 49ers fans for Jaquiski Tartt’s dropped interception.

In the AFC, quarterback Joe Burrow and the upstart Bengals shocked the Chiefs in Kansas City in the conference title game to reach the Super Bowl.

The Rams scored first as Stafford hit Kupp from 17 yards out in the first quarter, but the Bengals stayed within a score through the first half.

After an LA-centric halftime show featuring Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre, the Bengals came out firing. Burrow and Tee Higgins connected for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half, then Stafford threw a pick to open the next possession. The teams exchanged field goals, then the offense went silent as they traded seven consecutive punts with only three first downs, all by Cincinnati.

Aided by an early fourthdown conversion by Kupp and two defensive penalties inside the 10-yard line, Stafford and the Rams drove 79 yards to take a 3-point lead on a 1-yard Kupp catch.

The Bengals drove to midfield and had second-and-1, but the Rams stopped them on three straight plays, sealing a home Super Bowl victory. Kupp was the MVP for his 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Stafford had 283 yards passing and overcame two interceptions with three touchdowns, while Burrow finished with 263 yards and a touchdown on 22-of-33 passing but was sacked seven times.

Aaron Donald and Von Miller each had two sacks for the Rams.

“As far as building this stadium, I think it turned out all right,” said Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who moved them back to L.A. in 2016 from St. Louis and funded the $5 billion stadium where his team and the Chargers now play.

Road trip playbook

A fan’s guide for what to eat, drink and do while following the 49ers away from home

BY CAM INMAN

All roads this NFL season lead to Levi’s Stadium for the Super Bowl. For the 49ers to become the third-ever team to play for a Lombardi Trophy on its home field, they’ll have to conquer a regular-season schedule that includes nine road trips. Here is my personal awaygame guide for the 49ers Faithful:

Seattle Seahawks

The game: 1:05 p.m. Sept. 7 at Lumen Field. One of the loudest, rowdiest outdoor venues in the NFL will be rocking for the season opener.

Transit: Light rail is definitely doable from the airport and around town. Walking is also recommended if you can handle Seattle’s hills.

Grub + brew: From Fremont Brewing atop Lake Union over to Ballard’s brewery district (Reuben’s, Stoup, Bale Breaker, Lucky Envelope) toward downtown (Holy Mountain, Cloudburst, Pike breweries) and south (Georgetown Brewery), get out your compass and enjoy. Wine lovers should hit Purple Café.

Signature spots: Pike Place Market (flying fish, a bubble-gum alley and the original Starbucks) and the Space Needle (great view of it and downtown from Kerry Park in the Queen Anne neighborhood).

Sports detour: Head to Husky Stadium on Saturday night, as the University of Washington hosts U.C. Davis.

New Orleans Saints

The game: Noon (CT) Sept. 14 at the Superdome. The 49ers haven’t been to the epic venue since 2020, when only 5,979 fans were allowed in amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This is where the Niners won a Super Bowl (1990) and lost one (2013).

Transit: If you don’t rent a car — there is plenty of parking in the city — use Uber/ Lyft. Depending on where you stay, you can take an iconic New Orleans streetcar to the Poydras Avenue stop, the nearest station to the Dome.

Grub + brew: This season’s ultimate tour stop for culinary delights. Favorites: Cochon Butcher (lunch/deli), Pascal’s Manale (barbecue shrimp/oysters), Café du Monde (beignets), Jacques-Imo’s Café (Big Easy vibe), Commander’s Palace (legendary), Clancy’s (No. 1 recommendation by New Orleans colleague Jeff Duncan). It’s almost a rite of passage for French Quarter first-timers to take down a Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane.

Signature spots: The French Quarter’s spectacle of architecture, balconies, alleys and people watching is unmatched. But go trek down Magazine Street in the Garden District and explore Audubon Park uptown.

Sports detour: The Tulane Green Wave, who in 2014 moved out of the Superdome to open Yulman Stadium a couple miles down the road, take on Duke University on Sept. 13.

Los Angeles Rams

The game: 5:15 p.m. Oct. 2 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. It’s a Thursday night game, but that won’t prevent the annual Sea of Red takeover at what many call Levi’s South. 49ers fans have packed the 70,000-seat stadium since it opened.

Transit: As vast as the parking lot is, brace for traffic jams. If you are flying into LAX, consider staying in one of the surrounding beach towns and make it a long weekend. There is a free shuttle from the LAX Metro station to SoFi.

Grub + brew: Don’t settle for the stadium’s closest fare (a $1.50 Costco hot dog). There’s enough excellent cuisine for whatever you desire in and around this metropolitan mecca.

Signature spots: The nation’s best jogging path for out-of-shape NFL beat writers exists along The Strand, flanking beachfront property from Hermosa through Manhattan to El Segundo.

Sports detour: If the Dodgers don’t win the NL West they might host a wild card game Wednesday night (Oct.1.)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The game: 1 p.m. (ET) Oct. 12 at Raymond James Stadium. Before kickoff, don’t miss Bucs beach and the iconic pirate ship in the south end zone.

Transit: Tampa International Airport’s runways are just across the street on the Dale Mabry Highway.

Top: Alex Rose tosses a salmon at Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle.

TED S. WARREN/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

Grub + brew: All within a mile or two of the stadium are hotels, restaurants and bars. Cuban spot La Teresita is recommended by locals and within walking distance on Columbus Drive.

Signature spots: If you do leave the stadium’s entertainment zone, Tampa

has a downtown riverwalk among hotels, museums and the University of Tampa (not to be confused with the University of South Florida, which is 10 miles north.)

Sports detour: The closest Florida college football game this weekend is four hours away at Florida Atlantic, but

the Tampa Bay Rays might be hosting an American League playoff game down the street in their temporary digs at George Steinbrenner Field.

Houston Texans

The game: Noon (CT) Oct. 26 at NRG Stadium. The massive, multipurpose facility built in 2002 bills itself as the only rodeo and NFL indoor/outdoor retractable roof stadium in the world.

Transit: You can get to the downtown stadium from Hobby Airport via light rail (50 minutes) or car (15 minutes, no traffic).

Grub + brew: Houston is known for its BBQ, of course. It’s also the home to one of the nation’s oldest bars: La Carafe. It’s dark, dingy, and there are no TVs, so just talk, have a beer and listen to music.

Signature spots: Houston has an aquarium, a theater and a symphony. NASA’s Johnson Space Center offers a cool museum and tour to explore, about 30 minutes southeast of downtown.

Sports detour: On Saturday, about 2 miles up the road, you can catch college football as Rice hosts Connecticut, the latter which is coached by former 49ers defensive coordinator Jim Mora.

New York Giants

The game: 10 a.m. (ET) Nov. 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The 15-year-old, 82,500-seat stadium is a rather bland island among asphalt parking lots and swampland.

true exterior of “Monk’s Cafe” in Seinfeld.

Signature spots: If you’re strolling the blocks near Times Square’s spectacle, swing through Bryant Park for a break. Central Park is definitely worth a visit or a run or a carriage ride.

Sports detour: Game 7 of the World Series could fall on Nov. 1. The Yankees and Mets offer a double chance that New York makes it that far.

Arizona Cardinals

The game: 2:05 p.m. (MT) Nov. 16 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

Transit: Unless you’re staying right by this spaceship-looking desert facility, you’re likely facing a 30-minute drive from Scottsdale, Phoenix or Tempe.

Grub + brew: They’ve improved the grassy, west-side tailgate area to set up a canopy or makeshift bars. Westgate Entertainment District, just north of Glendale’s former NHL arena, features plenty of bars and restaurants.

Signature spots: Old Town Scottsdale is a tourist mecca; Tempe works for those reliving college life, and downtown Phoenix seems to be on the come. Go take a hike or get in a round of golf.

Sports detour: Brandon Aiyuk’s alma mater, Arizona State, is hosting West Virginia, Colton McKivitz’s alma mater, on Saturday (Nov. 15) across the Valley at Sun Devil Stadium.

Cleveland Browns

Above: A man walks on a slack rope in Venice Beach, California.

VALERIE MACON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)

Transit: The New York Marathon is being run on game day, so find safe harbor across the Hackensack and Hudson rivers. Staying in New Jersey may not be the sexy getaway for a “New York” game, but it will make life easier on game day.

Grub + brew: Finnerty’s, a refuge for Bay Area sports fans, has reopened after a five-year break and is next to the Empire State Building. A few blocks northwest of Central Park is Tom’s Restaurant, the

IPA. Also check out BrewDog, just over the Cuyahoga River, and try out Noble Beast. The Clevelander, Whistle and City Tap are closer to Cleveland’s basketball and baseball venues but still downtown and a few blocks from the Dawg Pound.

Signature spots: Next door to the stadium is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Better yet, take an hour drive south to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

Sports detour: On Saturday, Ohio State plays at Michigan about three hours up the road in Ann Arbor.

Indianapolis Colts

The game: 8:15 p.m. (ET) Dec. 22 at Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the annual NFL Combine. It will be cold, but the game is indoors, and Indianapolis will insulate you with its enclosed walkways between buildings.

Transit: If you don’t have a car or want to use Uber/Lyft, public transportation is available using the IndyGo bus system or Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). An Amtrak/Greyhound station is within walking distance of the stadium.

Grub + brew: Bluebeard is a homey, farm-to-table spot a few miles from downtown that is a definite must (and the top choice of any restaurant this season on the 49ers beat). Be sure to clear your sinuses with a shrimp cocktail (and a steak and martini) at St. Elmo downtown.

The game: 1 p.m. (ET) Nov. 30 at Huntington Bank Field, which opened in 1999 but still hasn’t quite replicated the Dawg Pound of its former home in the East End Zone.

Transit: An easy walk from downtown will get you to the stadium.

Grub + brew: Aliens, from Masthead Brewing, is an award-winning West Coast

Signature spots: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is enormous and offers a race-car museum to behold. If you have the time, Newfields is a 152-acre cultural campus that is home to the Indianapolis Museum of Art galleries, gardens, two historic homes and a lot more.

Sports detour: This time of year in Indiana calls for a college basketball game, so on Saturday (Dec. 20), you can catch Indiana (playing Chicago State an hour south in Bloomington) or Butler, which hosts Northwestern at Indy’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Pacers.

Catching up with Amy Trask

A dozen years after her Oakland Raiders tenure, football’s only female CEO is still navigating just fine without a plan

BY JERRY MCDONALD

It’s been more than 12 years since the Raiders and Amy Trask parted ways, ending her tenure as the first (and only) woman chief executive officer of the sport of football.

In the meantime, Trask has worn many hats. She’s worked in the media for CBS Women’s Sports and the CBS Sports Network. She’s an author: “You Negotiate Like a Girl — Reflections on a Career in the National Football League,” Triumph Books, 2016. She participated in a “Women in Sports Summit” in Las Vegas in July sponsored by “She’s Got Time” and founded by Hall of Fame basketball player Swin Cash that seeks to create “an intergenerational community for women’s sports.” She served as the chairman of the board for Ice Cube’s “Big3,” a 3-on-3 half-court basketball league.

Trask was once called the “Princess of Darkness” in a Michael Silver Sports Illustrated profile in the early 2000s by an anonymous source. It wasn’t intended as a compliment. But Trask embraced it. Sandra Douglass Morgan is currently the team president of the Las Vegas Raiders and Kristi Coleman is president of the Carolina Panthers, but only Trask has been a CEO.

Since her departure from the Raiders, the franchise got a new stadium in Las Vegas, where it has increased the value of the franchise but hasn’t yet paid off with a winning season. Here’s an exclusive look at how Trask sees the landscape for the NFL, opportunities for women, her relationship with the Raiders (she doesn’t have one) and her recollections about her career working with Al Davis after joining the team out

Amy Trask, here with Mark Davis during Raiders training camp in 2008, worked with Al Davis, Mark’s dad, and the Raiders for 25 years.

DEAN COPPOLA/ STAFF ARCHIVES

of the University of Southern California law school in 1982 as an intern, working through the legal department and as CEO from 1997 through 2013:

Q: After you left the Raiders, did you ever consider a return to the NFL, whether it be with another team or a position with the league itself?

Trask: I did not. I was approached several times, and

it was not of interest to me. I was a Raider. I had a lot of colleagues throughout the league for decades who would move from one team to another. I don’t have any issue whatsoever with others who chose to do that, that was their choice. But that wasn’t for me. I didn’t view being a Raider as fungible. It wasn’t, ‘Oh, I’m part of the NFL, maybe I’ll go work for another team.’ It was, ‘I was a Raider.’

Q: The NFL appears to be as successful as ever. What in your eyes is the league doing right to maintain and build on its success?

A: Recognizing the importance of the game. Yes, the NFL is a very big and tremendously successful business. But it’s the game that’s the underlying basis of that business. And the game has evolved, rules have evolved for any number of reasons, including safety. The league continues to recognize the strength of the league is the game, and the strength of the game is the players. I worked for a man for almost 30 years who told me when I joined the organization, ‘Kid, the players are the game.’ The game is what makes the league what it is, and the players are the game.

Q: Do you expect to see NFL expansion into Europe or Latin America?

A: I think we will continue to see additional games around the world. This year, the Vikings are staying overseas and playing

back-to-back games, one in Ireland, one in England. I think we’ll start seeing more of that so teams can play multiple games without the travel. Will we see teams based overseas? That’s a tough challenge, and if ever that was to happen, it would have to be multiple teams so they can play games between and among themselves, not simply requiring travel across continents. But I do think you’re going to continue to see international growth.

Q: Is the sport safe enough for children and teenagers in youth tackle leagues and high school?

A: I will differentiate children from teenagers. I don’t see any reason why children from elementary or junior high school need to be playing contact football or contact any sport. And the league is embracing, with a passion, flag football — that’s flag football for boys and flag football for girls. It’s a different analysis when you get to high school and college. The league has taken steps to make the game a lot safer. There are still concerns, but I would say that about a lot of sports. Basketball, soccer, there are dangers associated with lacrosse. I can tell you firsthand of the dangers of being a competitive equestrian, which is also deemed a sport, and I had my concussions from that. For children, flag (football) is a wonderful option for boys and girls, and the league is ardent about its support about growing and expanding flag. High school? I think there are dangers associated with a lot of sports, and each family has to make its

Former Oakland Raiders CEO Amy Trask stands on the sidelines during training camp in Napa in 2011.

ERIC RISBERG/ASSOCIATED PRESS

own analysis.

Q: Your old boss, Al Davis, believed the sport would go to a pay-per-view system. Instead, the networks paid top dollar. Now that other networks such as Amazon are in the mix, is pay-per-view on some level still a possibility?

A: It’s really hard for me to fathom that. Look, the league has a limited anti-trust exemption which requires free viewing of certain games in certain markets. All of that needs to be factored in as well. The landscape is changing; it’s going to continue to change. If we were having this conversation 10 years ago, we wouldn’t have envisioned some of the changes that exist now.

Q: While you’ve never been one to talk much about gender unless asked about it, has the league made enough strides regarding women, particularly as it pertains to coaching?

A: The league has absolutely made strides when you look at the perspective and prism of when I joined the league (in 1982). I walked into that first league owner’s meeting, and I was the only woman in the room. Every time a woman is hired, whether it’s on the field or off the field, I’m asked, ‘Are you excited?’ And my answer is sure, but what’s going to be real exciting is when such things are no longer newsworthy. When people are hired without regard to race or gender or any other

individuality. One of the things that excited me was Sarah Thomas officiating a Super Bowl (in 2021). I was asked umpteen times if I thought they put Sarah in the Super Bowl just to put a woman on the field. I laughed at that. The last thing the league wants is an officiating controversy at the Super Bowl. All they care about is the best officials are on the field.

Q: What has been your impression on the current landscape of women’s sports, and in particular the immediate success locally of the Golden State Valkyries?

A: My view is people love good sports, good games, good teams, good players, and we’re seeing that reverberate throughout the WNBA and other sports. Al (Davis) was ahead of his time. He was a huge fan of women’s college basketball. I remember going into Al’s office many times to talk with him or have him sign a document, and I got the ‘Shh, wait a minute.’ And I sat there with him while he watched a women’s college basketball game. Are we seeing the excitement and enthusiasm increase? Absolutely. But there have been people who have been fans of women’s sports for a long time.

Q: How would you describe your relationship with the Raiders, and have you been to a game at (their Las Vegas home) Allegiant Stadium?

A: I have been to Allegiant Stadium. I have taken a tour, and

it is just a tremendous, tremendous building. I have not been to a game at Allegiant Stadium.

Q: Have you ever attended any functions put on by the Raiders?

A: I have never been invited to any Raider functions since I left the organization. I haven’t been included.

Q: You were very protective of the reputation of East Bay Raider fans during the Raiders’ second phase in Oakland. Do you maintain some of those con-

Amy Trask hasn’t slowed down since her days as the Raiders’ CEO. She was the CEO of Big3 during its inaugural season and has been an analyst for CBS Sports.

DONALD TRAILL/AP IMAGES FOR TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA

nections either through social media or other means?

A: I remain in contact with Raiders fans, and I love that they include me when they share things on social media. Many reach out directly, with a text or an email or a phone call. One of the most precious memories for me in my years with the league is the fans and my interaction with the fans, and I continue to interact with them and will forever.

Q: When you were at Cal and in

law school at USC, did you ever envision a career in professional sports or did your hiring by the Raiders take you in that direction?

A: I did not envision a career in professional sports. I did not envision a career in anything. I had no vision for what my career would be. I went to Cal, went to law school, and there were reasons why I did that, none of which were that I planned to practice law. It was not my intent to practice law, and I would certainly never, ever be a litiga-

tor. I went to law school for the additional education and because back in that time, there weren’t a lot of women going into business, so I thought the legal education would not only give me a good education for business, but maybe a little extra gravitas to have that law degree. I had no idea what I was going to do when I got to law school. No idea.

Q: What do you think is the biggest misconception about Al Davis (who died in 2011)?

A: That’s an easy one. The biggest misconception about Al is he wouldn’t tolerate disagreement. If that were the case, I would have been fired roughly two weeks into my job. He walked into a room, I was sitting with a co-worker, and he ripped into that guy like you could imagine a velociraptor ripping into flesh. And after he went for a bit of time, I said, ‘Excuse me, you’re wrong,’ and that he was basing his conclusion on inaccurate data. We went on to have a very healthy and very loud dialogue. After it was over,

The Raiders and Quarterback Derek Carr played against the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019 in London. Former Raiders CEO Amy Trask says she expects to continue to see international growth by the NFL.

TIM IRELAND/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

he said, ‘OK, I got it.’ And we had a terrific conversation. We both had loud voices, and people gathered in the hallway. I later learned they came out to listen to this argument that Al was having with this woman who’d been there two weeks. One even brought boxes, saying, ‘She’s gone.’ I think that set up the basis for a working relationship. He never discouraged you from expressing disagreeing points.

Q: You have always tried to maintain a polite and civil discourse on social media, whether it was Twitter or X, even to the point of saying, ‘Hi’ to just about everyone. Is that a challenge in a medium that includes a lot of potshots and insults?

A: I don’t find it to be a challenge. I’m extraordinarily passionate about civil discourse and exchanging thoughts in a reasonable manner. When I see anyone fire back at me in what I consider in a rude or nasty manner, I’ll reply, ‘Fair enough, you disagree with me, but you can disagree with me without being

mean or nasty.’ And I’ve gotten a lot of replies that say, ‘You know what, you’re right. I do disagree, but I did not mean to be nasty or rude.’ My theory is if I can change one person’s mind here and there and encourage civil discourse, I feel really good about that.

Q: You’ve never blocked anybody?

A: I’ve never, ever, ever blocked anyone. How can we espouse that we should be able to exchange thoughts and then block someone?

Q: You’ve been a supporter of animal rescue on social media. This is only a half-serious question. Do you like animals better than people?

A: I plead the fifth. I have been known to say we should put dogs in charge of the world. There are definitely some animals that are better than some people. But I like people, too.

Q: What do you see yourself doing by 2035?

A: I have no idea whatsoever. I have no plan. And I’ve never had a plan. My plan is to never have a plan. I told (my husband) Rob when I was navigating my decision whether to stay with or leave the Raiders, ‘I’m not going to even be able to think about what I do next until I make this decision.’ When I gave notice and then woke up the next morning, I thought, ‘I’m a blight on humanity. I have nothing to do.’ Because I have no plan. But it worked out OK.

Kicking it across the pond

The 49ers, with stakes in Leeds United and the Rangers, are part of the European multi-ownership trend

BY JASON MASTRODONATO

This year, 49ers Enterprises will be in charge of not one, but two European soccer teams playing in their country’s top flight.

Having acquired managing control over Leeds United in 2023, the 49ers ownership group recently steered the club out of the Championship, England’s second-tier professional league, and back into the English Premier League.

Now competing against some of the best clubs in the world, Leeds is planning a massive, $200-million expansion to its 128-year-old stadium at Elland Road that will increase seating capacity from 37,645 to at least 53,000.

“We did it at the 49ers over the last 15 years with Levi’s Stadium and building back the football side,” Paraag Marathe told Sportico in May. “Now it’s an opportunity to run it back with Leeds.”

Marathe is an important 49ers figure these days. He currently has four titles: vice president of football operations for the 49ers, president of 49ers Enterprises, chairman of Leeds

The 49ers have purchased majority ownership in two European soccer clubs since 2023, in hopes of translating their success on the gridiron to the pitch. In May, Leeds United FC won the Sky Bet Championship, earning the 49ers-owned club a return to the top level Premier League.

United and vice chairman of Rangers FC.

He could fly to England and visit Leeds, then take the 250-mile trip north to Glasgow, where the 49ers owners are entering their first season in charge of Rangers FC.

One of the most storied franchises in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers has won the league a record 55 times. The club finished second last season, but in May, it was announced that 49ers Enterprises was acquiring a majority stake (51 percent) of the club. Changes have been made, including the hiring of a new manager and the acquisition of several young

players to replace some club veterans.

Let’s pause there, because surely, casual 49ers fans are now wondering why they should care about a soccer team in Glasgow.

Here’s why: As the dynamics of sport have quickly shifted to incorporate a global audience, it’s becoming increasingly common for NFL owners to have their hands in other professional sports leagues.

Last year, the NFL made it easier than ever by announcing a change to ownership rules: Private equity firms are now allowed to purchase minority stakes in NFL teams.

That means that an NFL

owner can sell parts of the team to these firms without losing managing control, “essentially giving the majority partner liquidity to invest in other sports franchises around the world,” said Marty Greenberg, a former sports agent and the founder of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University.

“That’s an important change.” Soon, the term “multi-club ownership,” or “MCO,” will be part of the mainstream language in sports.

As of this summer, there were already seven NFL owners who own EPL teams.

Stan Kroenke, who owns the Los Angeles Rams, owns Arse-

HARRY TRUMP/ GETTY IMAGES

nal; Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan also owns Fulham FC; the Glazer family owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as Manchester United; Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris has an ownership stake in Crystal Palace, though New York Jets owner Woody Johnson just recently acquired managing control of the EPL club; and 49ers Enterprises owns Leeds.

Owners of MLB, NBA and NHL teams also own teams in the EPL, where nearly half of the teams are owned by Americans.

Wes Edens, owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, also owns Aston Villa. Bill Foley owns the Las Vegas Golden Knights and AFC

Bournemouth. Fenway Sports Group owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC.

It doesn’t end there: Several of these owners also own additional soccer clubs throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and even the United States.

Think of it as a tree, where the trunk of the tree is the ownership group, and the biggest branches are their American professional sports franchises or top-tier European soccer clubs, with smaller branches that include second- and third-tier soccer clubs stationed all over the world.

The result: distinct competitive advantages.

At least, that’s what the owners are hoping for.

They can save money on back-office staff. They can share intellectual property. They can discuss marketing and sales strategies. Successful business partnerships can cross over. Player development techniques can be utilized.

And in world football, “it enables owners and football groups to have greater control over the player market,” said Mark Ogden, a senior writer at ESPN who covers soccer in the United Kingdom. “Clubs and owners now add additional clubs in different regions in order to have greater access and control of the local market.”

For example, scouting and developing a teenage soccer player in West Africa is a lot easier to do if you own a team in West Africa, which is exactly what the owners of Los Angeles FC realized. They now own soccer teams all over the world, often trading players within their own club network.

“Through the club network, you’re achieving two things,”

Tim Bezbatchenko, a longtime MLS executive who now oversees AFC Bournemouth in the EPL, said on The Athletic FC podcast. “One, you’re controlling your (player) supply. Two, there’s

cost and risk mitigation.”

Perhaps it sounds a bit like owners are cheating the system. How is this allowed?

Well, it’s all still fairly new, and sports leagues are trying to figure out the best way to regulate it while still supporting the enormous financial investments that come with having billionaire owners funnelling cash into their leagues.

There is one particular rule that is causing some owners trouble: An owner cannot have influence over two clubs involved in the same competition.

This makes sense, of course; an NFL owner couldn’t own two NFL teams.

But the difference in world football is that top-finishers in domestic leagues will move on to face teams from other leagues in more lucrative tournaments, most notably the Champions League.

This has come back to bite a few ownership groups. In this summer’s Club World Cup, Liga MX’s Club León was banned from the competition due to an ownership conflict with another Mexican club, Pachuca.

So what will happen to the 49ers ownership group if Rangers FC and Leeds United qualify for the same competition?

Marathe told reporters in Europe that a “plan is in place” to solve that problem, should it arise.

But this is only the beginning of the centralization of ownership in world sports.

In 2012, the Union of European Football Associations estimated there were 40 clubs that were part of a multi-ownership structure. By 2023, there were 180.

Today, there’s an estimated 350, with that number growing by the day.

Some fans are protesting. Fans of Dutch club NAC Breda successfully fought against Manchester City taking control of their club in 2022 “because

“We view it as three uncut diamonds. We’ve polished up the 49ers and now (are) on the path to doing it with Leeds, and there’s another opportunity there with Rangers.”

Paraag Marathe, vice president of football operations for the 49ers, president of 49ers Enterprises, chairman of Leeds United and vice chairman of Rangers FC

they did not want their club to lose their identity or become a factory for loan players,” The Guardian wrote at the time.

“As for Leeds, Rangers and the 49ers, right now, both fan groups appear to welcome the investment and ownership due to each team having a recent turbulent past,” Ogden said. “But if they both return to former levels and potentially face each other in European football, then there will come a crunch because one club will ultimately be prioritized.”

One thing is for sure: Mutli-club ownership, when done right, is providing an opportunity to multiply the value of some franchises.

Red Sox owners Fenway Sports Group bought Liverpool FC in 2010 for a reported price of £300 million ($450 at the time); today, the club is valued at £4 billion, or $5.4 billion.

“We view it as three uncut diamonds,” Marathe told Sportico in May. “We’ve polished up the 49ers and now (are) on the path to doing it with Leeds, and there’s another opportunity there with Rangers.

“We’re just starting to scratch the surface of what we can do. It’s not just about making money for making money’s sake. It’s about making money to spend it on players and get better. This will never be a dividend game.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS IN THE MONEY

BY CHRISTIAN BABCOCK

A new college football season is underway, and it promises to be different from any that came before.

For the first time, schools are legally paying players, thanks to the House v. NCAA settlement finalized in June. High-level Division I schools can spend up to $20.5 million per year on their athletes, allocated across all of their varsity sports. Of course, much of that money will go toward football.

The culmination of schools and conferences gaining control over their own television rights has also created a new world in which college football is a minor league, with coaches, executives and now players earning sums similar to — or even exceeding — what they would receive from the NFL.

This influx of cash has changed every aspect of the sport, but much of it remains the same. After all, college football has been heading in this direction for a long time.

NFL COACHES HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL

Everything old is new again in college football at two Atlantic Coast Conference schools.

For two very different reasons — and with two different outcomes — both North Carolina and Stanford recently hired coaches with long track records in the NFL.

Mostly notably, the Tar Heels brought in Bill Belichick. Considered by many to be the greatest coach of all time, Belichick won eight Super Bowls with the New York Giants and New England Patriots. He left New England two years ago but was unable to find another job in the NFL. So he took the college route for the first time in his five-decade career in the sport.

Belichick isn’t the only established NFL voice back in school. Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich is Stanford’s interim coach following the messy spring firing of Troy Taylor.

Former Stanford star quarterback and current

CHRIS SEWARD/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick takes the reins in the college ranks, now at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

general manager Andrew Luck brought in Reich, his former NFL coach, to steady the Cardinal ship for the time being. How long Reich is on the job remains to be seen.

Here are some coaching moves since last season:

Appalachian State Dowell Loggains for Shawn Clark

Ball State Mike Uremovich for Mike Neu

Bowling Green Eddie George for Scot Loeffler

Central Florida Scott Frost for Gus Malzahn

Charlotte Tim Albin for Francis “Biff” Poggi

Florida International Willie Simmons for Mike MacIntyre

Fresno State Matt Entz for Tim Skipper

Purdue Barry Odom for Ryan Walters

Sam Houston Phil Longo for K.C. Keeler

Stanford Frank Reich for Troy Taylor (interim)

New Mexico Jason Eck for Bronco Mendenhall

North Carolina Bill Belichick for Mack Brown

Ohio Brian Smith for Tim Albin

UNLV Dan Mullen for Barry Odom

Utah State Bronco Mendenhall for Nate Dreiling

Wake Forest Jake Dickert for Dave Clawson

Washington State Jimmy Rogers for Jake Dickert

West Virginia Rich Rodriguez for Neal Brown

COLLECTIVE FUTURE

Texas Tech could be a sleeper team in the Big XII and a test case for this latest chapter of college football’s new era. Led by their swashbuckling collective, the Matador Club, the Red Raiders have invested heavily in football and other sports.

Famously, Tech swiped Stanford softball’s star pitcher, NiJaree Canady, for a reported sum of $1 million. She reupped for another million in June after carrying the Red Raiders to their first-ever College World Series championship series appearance.

According to reports, Texas Tech boosters plan to spend around $55 million on athletes for the 2025-26 school year. Much of that money is going to football, and the Red Raiders have landed multiple impact transfers and high-profile recruits this offseason.

It’s the new frontier in college football — spending your way to titles. Ohio State did it in 2024-25, when its roster, which the Buckeyes’ athletic director said cost $20 million, won OSU its first national championship in 10 years.

While Texas Tech is trying to leverage its deep-pocketed, oil-rich boosters to elevate on the national scene, schools like Cal are on the other side of the equation.

The Bears lost multiple star players this offseason, which many attributed in part to being unable to compensate them as well as other schools.

Star running back Jadyn Ott transferred to

Oklahoma. Returning leading rusher Jaivian

Thomas, an Oakland native and McClymonds High grad, transferred to UCLA. Starting tight end Jack Endries, a Monte Vista High alum and the favorite target of quarterback Fernando Mendoza, joined Texas. Mendoza is now at Indiana.

It’s hard to see a path to success for Cal — also Stanford for that matter — in the ACC. Both schools had their rosters raided again by richer programs and those with more revenue certainty moving forward.

Here is a look at some of the top players who utilized the portal.

David Bailey Edge Texas Tech from Stanford

Carson Beck QB Miami from Georgia

Zachariah Branch WR Georgia from USC

Xavier Chaplin OT Auburn from Virginia Tech

Kevin Concepcion WR Texas A&M from NC State

Thaddeus Dixon CB North Carolina from Washington

Tacario Davis CB Washington from Arizona

Makhi Hughes RB Oregon from Tulane

Nyziah Hunter WR Nebraska from Cal

Nico Iamaleava QB UCLA from Tennessee

John Mateer QB Oklahoma from Washington State

Fernando Mendoza QB Indiana from Cal

Darian Mensah QB Tulane from Duke

Jaydn Ott RB Oklahoma from Cal

Patrick Payton Edge LSU from Florida State

Duce Robinson WR Florida State from USC

Eric Singleton Jr. WR Auburn from Georgia Tech

Dillon Thieneman S Oregon from Purdue

Damon Wilson II Edge Missouri from Georgia

Isaiah World OT Oregon from Nevada

HEISMAN HOPEFULS

The 2025 quarterback pool looks likely to take back the Heisman mantle a year after Travis Hunter’s two-way exploits for Deion Sanders and Colorado saw him edge past Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty for the trophy.

Arch Manning of Texas is the favorite as he takes over the Longhorns offense on a full-time basis. He has plenty of competition in the SEC, as LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, both 2024 standouts, are expected to be in the mix.

Even John Mateer, Oklahoma’s transfer gunslinger from Washington State, could find his way to New York for the ceremony.

Here are some of the top names to watch:

Player Position School

Drew Allar QB Penn State

Arch Manning QB Texas

Cade Klubnik QB Clemson

Dante Moore QB Oregon

LaNorris Sellers QB South Carolina

Jeremiah Smith WR Ohio State

Julian Sayin QB Ohio State

John Mateer QB Oklahoma

Ryan Williams WR Alabama

Sam Leavitt QB Arizona State

GAMES OF THE YEAR

A year after the college football landscape received a facelift with the breakup of the Pac-12, conference affiliations are unchanged. At least for this season. The new-look Pac-12 debuts next fall, with moves that will alter the membership of multiple other conferences.

The biggest traditional game in the Bay Area — The Big Game between Stanford and Cal — will be played for the second time as an ACC game and the 128th time overall. It’s at Stanford on Nov. 22.

The Bill Walsh Legacy game between Stanford and San Jose State will be played in consecutive seasons for the first time since they played three in a row from 2011-13. Last season was the first time the teams met in 15 years. The Spartans won 34-30 in San Jose last season, their first victory over the Cardinal since 2006. This year’s game is Sept. 27 at Stanford.

Walsh, the former 49ers coaching legend, played and got his start in coaching at SJSU in the late 1950s and concluded his coaching career at Stanford from 1992-1994.

Here’s a look at some of the national games of the year:

Sept. 13 Georgia at Tennessee

Sept 13 Texas A&M at Notre Dame

Sept. 20 Illinois at Indiana

Sept. 27 Alabama at Georgia

Sept. 27 Oregon at Penn State

Oct. 11 Ohio State at Illinois

Oct. 18 SMU at Clemson

Oct. 18 Utah at BYU

Oct. 27 Oregon at Penn State

Nov. 1 Arizona State at Iowa State

Nov. 1 Penn State at Ohio State

Nov. 8 LSU at Alabama

Nov. 15 Texas at Georgia

Nov. 29 Ohio State at Michigan

Nov. 29 Oregon at Washington

Dec. 13 Army vs. Navy in Baltimore

Dec. 19-20 First-round playoff games (4 in all)

Dec. 31-Jan. 1 Quarterfinals (Cotton, Orange, Rose, Sugar bowls)

Jan. 8-9 Semifinals (Fiesta and Peach bowls)

Jan. 19 National Championship Game (at Miami Gardens)

Rivera’s resolve

Former Cal Bears star Ron Rivera returns to Berkeley with a new role and one goal — to make sure the program doesn’t get left behind in the ever-changing college football landscape

STORY BY JEFF FARAUDO

ILLUSTRATION BY RAJ DHUNNA

Can Ron Rivera save Cal football?

An overreaction? Maybe not.

As the college football landscape continues to undergo seismic shifts, the Golden Bears are striving for more than an improved win-loss record. They’re fighting for survival as a major-college program.

Rivera, the long-ago Cal All-America linebacker and more recently an NFL head coach with two different franchises, was hired in March as general manager of the Bears’ football program.

This is part of a growing trend across the country, with schools including Stanford, North Carolina, Notre Dame, USC, Alabama, Texas Tech and Texas hiring GMs to deal with the ever-growing complexities of running a modern college football program.

The job involves managing the recently approved profit-sharing payments to athletes and the mushrooming challenge of player movement through the transfer portal, which has wreaked havoc on the Bears’ roster. It’s a lot.

But for Cal, there is a big picture that looms over everything.

Realignment, which splintered the Pac-12 Conference and led Cal to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, is ongoing, and the expectation is that the powerful Southeastern and Big Ten conferences will eventually, perhaps soon, force the creation of one or more super-conferences.

Exactly what that will look like remains to be seen. But it’s expected to involve an exit from the NCAA to become a separate entity, with its own media rights deal and playoff system.

How many schools will be part of the new world

JEFF CHIU/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ron Rivera, right, jokes around with fellow Cal Berkeley grad, Giants manager Bob Melvin, at Oracle Park this spring. Rivera is back in the Bay Area as the new general manager of the Cal football program.

order is up for grabs. Cal, which has not had a winning football season since 2019, is not guaranteed a spot at the table.

Cal chancellor Rich Lyons hired Rivera for the purpose of helping position the Bears to continue playing with the big kids.

“That’s the whole goal, to make sure that we’re there and we are relevant. To be relevant, you have to win,” said Stephanie Rivera, Ron’s wife of 40 years, a former Cal basketball player and a trustee with the UC Berkeley Foundation, which helps generate private philanthropy in support of the university.

For Rivera, 63, the return to

the college game for the first time since 1983 has been an eyeopener.

“It’s changed unbelievably,” said Rivera, who last fall attended his first Big Game since his playing days.

He understands the assignment with his alma mater.

“The biggest thing we’re learning is when there is a realignment, they’re going to look at probably three things: (win-loss) record, butts in the seats, eyeballs on the TV set. That’s how they’re going to measure you,” he said.

Rivera added, “Everything from ticket sales to marketing to looking for different revenue

Chancellor Rich Lyons calls Ron Rivera’s return to Cal as general manager of the football program “an investment in excellence.”

SCOTT TAETSCH/ GETTY IMAGES

streams, we have to be much better. Everything that touches football I’m working with.”

Rivera will focus heavily on fund-raising and fan engagement, but he also has full authority over the entire program, from coach Justin Wilcox on down.

Rivera spent 35 seasons as a player, assistant coach or head coach in the NFL. He won a Super Bowl as a player with the Chicago Bears in 1985, coached the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl and twice was named NFL Coach of the Year.

So why has he taken on this task?

“Because it’s Cal,” he said. “It’s about coming back to the Uni-

versity of California and giving back. I have the opportunity to be here and make an impact.”

The hiring has supercharged much of Cal’s fan base. Asked about the enthusiastic fan response, Rivera said, “I think it’s cool, I really do. I was a little surprised, and sometimes, it’s embarrassing.”

Lyons, sold on Rivera’s deeprooted passion for the university, called his hiring the latest step in “leveling up the importance of football at Cal,” labeling it “an investment in excellence.”

Unlike many college programs, where the GM reports to the head coach, Rivera oversees Wilcox and his staff. He reports

directly to the chancellor.

Wilcox, who has led the Bears to four bowl appearances in eight seasons but has a 42-50 record, has embraced the relationship.

“I am very excited to have Ron in this role,” Wilcox said in a statement to this news organization. “Ron has a passion for Cal football and loves this university. To have him help guide our program during this new era of college football will be critical to our success.”

In one of their first conversations, Rivera asked Wilcox why he turned down the 2021 job offer from Oregon, his alma mater.

“Ron, I can win here,” Wilcox told him. “I was here (as an assistant) when we won. I was here with coach (Jeff) Tedford. That’s why I believe we can win.”

That was just what Rivera wanted to hear.

“I kept thinking, this guy’s seen it. And he’s been so close,” Rivera said. “What I want to be able to do is get him the resources, give him that opportunity to succeed. Because we’re on the precipice, I believe, of taking the next step.”

One day last season gave him a glimpse of the program’s potential but also its shortcomings. Rivera watched as the Bears started the season 3-0 before losing four in a row by a combined margin of nine points. In the most painful of those, on Oct. 5, Cal built a 35-10 lead over Miami late in the third quarter in front of a capacity home crowd before collapsing in a 39-38 defeat.

Rivera also saw a community that packed Memorial Glade on campus for an early-morning visit by ESPN’s popular College GameDay show. ESPN called it one of its best GameDay programs, and Rivera labeled it “a three-hour commercial” for Cal football.

“Our student body, our faculty, the alumni and the fans came through,” Rivera said. “It showed this university has the ability to support major college football.”

Cal schedule

Saturday, Sept. 27

BOSTON COLLEGE

These ACC foes have played just once, when the Eagles beat the Bears 21-15 in their season opener in 1986. Like that game, this one will be in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Saturday, Oct. 4

DUKE

Saturday, Aug. 30

OREGON STATE

The season opener was the return game from a 44-7 Bears blowout victory in Berkeley last season between the former Pac-12 opponents.

Saturday, Sept. 6

TEXAS SOUTHERN

Cal added this FCS-level opponent to its schedule in 2024 after joining the ACC. It was the Bears’ first game against a historically black college or university since 2015, when they beat Grambling State.

Saturday, Sept. 13

7:30 p.m., ESPN

MINNESOTA

This is the first in a home-and-home non-conference series with the Gophers that will include a game in Minneapolis in 2028. The Bears are 4-2 in the series, including a win in the most recent game in 2009.

Saturday, Sept. 20

7:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network

SAN DIEGO STATE

Despite their relative proximity, the Bears and Aztecs have only played nine times. Cal won last year’s game 31-10 to gain a 5-4 edge in the series.

Cal has never beaten Duke. The teams played two games more than 60 years ago, when Marv Levy coached the Bears. The Blue Devils won at home in 1962, then the Berkeley rematch a year later ended in a 22-22 tie.

Saturday, Oct. 11

Friday, Oct. 17 7:30 p.m., ESPN

NORTH CAROLINA

The Bears are undefeated against the Tar Heels in their history, winning both sides of a two-game series. They were led to a road victory in 2017 by Ross Bowers, who passed for 363 yards and four touchdowns in his first collegiate start. Both were marks he never matched again at Cal or Northern Illinois.

Friday, Oct. 24 4:30 p.m., ESPN

VIRGINIA TECH

The Bears’ only prior game against the Hokies was a barnburner of an Insight. com Bowl to cap the 2003 season. Tyler Fredrickson nailed a 35-yard field goal as time expired to give Cal a 52-49 win. Aaron Rodgers threw for 394 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores.

Saturday, Nov. 1

VIRGINIA

Cal has never faced the Cavaliers in football. Virginia was 5-7 last year and finished one game ahead of the Bears in the ACC standings. It was Tony Elliot’s most successful of his three seasons leading UVA. Cavaliers cornerback Emanuel Karnley is a Las Lomas High graduate and was an honorable mention on the Bay Area News Group’s 2022 all-area team.

Saturday, Nov. 8

LOUISVILLE

Another first-time opponent of the Bears. The Cardinals were picked by longtime college football analyst Phil Steele to finish fourth in the ACC after adding quarterback Miller Moss from USC. This will be Cal’s first-ever game in the state of Kentucky.

Saturday, Nov. 15

BYE

Saturday, Nov. 22

STANFORD

Finally, someone Bears fans know well enough to dislike! Cal has won the last four meetings in the Big Game, although the Cardinal still lead the all-time series 60-48, with 10 ties. The Golden Bears rallied from a 21-10 deficit late in the third quarter to win at Memorial Stadium last year.

Saturday, Nov. 29

SMU

Cal is winless against the Mustangs, including last year’s 38-6 thrashing in Dallas that sealed an undefeated conference season in SMU’s first time through the ACC. The only prior meeting was in 1957, when Peter Elliott’s Bears lost 13-7 in Berkeley.

As

Luck would have it

Former star Andrew Luck took the job as Stanford’s football general manager determined to restore the Cardinal as a national power

STORY BY HAROLD GUTMANN

ILLUSTRATION

BY RAJ DHUNNA

STANFORD — Andrew Luck doesn’t have to use his imagination to envision a time when Stanford was one of the top teams in college football.

The two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up went 23-3 in his final two seasons as Stanford’s quarterback, with consecutive Top 10 finishes and appearances in the Orange and Fiesta bowls.

Luck is embracing his new — and perhaps more important — role on The Farm. He was hired in November as the team’s first general manager and is determined to return the shine to his alma mater.

“I am not here to steward an also-ran in the college football world,” said Luck, who played at Stanford from 2009-11. “We achieve. We aspire. That’s part of Stanford’s ethos — the pursuit of excellence.”

But a lot has changed since Luck, who turns 36 this month, left The Farm and was selected first overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Since 2021, the team has

DAI SUGANO/STAFF

Andrew Luck, left, congratulates Fred Reich at a press conference after bringing his former Indianapolis Colts coach onto the Stanford team as interim head coach — one of Luck’s first moves as new general manager.

produced four consecutive 3-9 seasons and watched nearly 70 players transfer — with fewer than 30 transferring to Stanford. Off the field, the school fled the splintering Pac-12 to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, and this spring, there was a messy breakup with Troy Taylor, who was fired after two seasons as head coach amid allegations of misconduct.

The optimism and national spotlight that once surrounded the program have dimmed, replaced by questions of whether Stanford can still compete at the highest level.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

After Luck surprisingly announced his NFL retirement two weeks before the start of the 2019 season, at the age of 29 and after just six seasons, he largely disappeared from the spotlight. He returned to Stanford and earned a master’s degree in education and helped raise his two daughters with his wife, Nicole, a former Stanford gymnast. He got his football fix as a part-time volunteer coach for the Palo Alto High JV team.

But when given the opportunity to work on The Farm again, something clicked.

“I’m young, and I’ve got a lot more to give the world,” Luck said. “This opportunity aligned with where my family was, with what our university needed and with what I believe in. I love this program. I believe in our young men.

“This just feels right.”

The role is a new one for Stanford, and in many ways, a new one in the broader world of college football. Across the Bay, Cal brought in Ron Rivera, an alum with deep NFL ties, to serve as its football GM.

Luck is part operations chief, part program architect and part culture-keeper. And he’s doing it with a deep understanding

of what makes Stanford, well, Stanford.

“It’s been periods of insane intensity,” Luck said. “But I love it. Getting to be back on the practice field, walking off after training camp with this amazing group of young men and coaches. Let’s embrace this opportunity.”

BUILDING A NEW MODEL

Name, image and likeness (NIL) deals, conference realignment and a growing gap in

As a Cardinal quarterback, right, Andrew Luck remembers a stronger program. He hopes to return the shine to his alma mater, which has gone 3-9 each of the past four seasons.

NHAT V. MEYER/ STAFF ARCHIVES

athletic department budgets are forcing programs to adapt or risk being left behind. Luck doesn’t see the landscape as a threat to Stanford but an opening.

“This new world of college football,” Luck said, “it’s a chance for Stanford to reassert itself.”

He invokes the names that helped shape the Cardinal’s football legacy: Jim Plunkett, John Elway, Pop Warner, Bill Walsh. “There’s 130 years of history here,” he says. “That’s why I believe in this place.”

And if Stanford is going to write the next chapter of that legacy, it starts with the people in the locker room.

“Guys who want to challenge themselves and grow, who want to get the most out of themselves — this is the place for you,” Luck said.

Reuniting with a trusting voice.

One of Luck’s first big moves was firing Taylor when reports surfaced about the coach’s alleged mistreatment of female

staff. Needing an interim coach who could fill in right away, Luck turned to Frank Reich, his head coach with the Colts in 2018.

Luck was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, and the Colts made the playoffs during their one year together.

“These guys will joke about hearing me saying and Andrew saying, ‘Hey, it’s all about getting 1 percent better every day, going 1-0 every day.’ That’s the way you build success,” Reich said. “It’s a commitment to that.”

Reich said the Luck he saw as a quarterback carries the same traits now as a leader.

“This extreme confidence,” Reich said. “But also this great humility, to know that you can get better every day.”

THE BEAUTY OF THE GRIND

This spring, Luck was all smiles as he walked off the practice field with the team. He remains animated when talking about the day-to-day grind of football.

It might seem like a pressure-packed job to try to engineer a turnaround at his alma mater, but it’s nothing that Luck hadn’t faced before during his days as a top-flight quarterback.

“I feel such purpose,” Luck said. “Connected to alignment with the mission of this university and what it means to be part of a program that I was a player of, that I was a fan of and that I’m an alum of.”

This time, the challenge is different — but the stakes are just as high. And Luck believes the formula remains the same: culture, consistency and belief.

He hopes with hard work, the right people and some fortunate bounces, Stanford can rejoin the upper echelon of the sport.

If it does, the Cardinal’s new era will be led by a man who’s come home not to relive the past, but to shape the future.

Stanford schedule

Saturday, Sept. 27

SAN JOSE STATE

The seventh edition of the Bill Walsh Legacy Game, named after the former SJSU and Stanford coaching legend following his death in 2007 will be the 69th meeting between the schools. Stanford leads the series 52–15–1, but SJSU snapped a six-game losing streak against the Cardinal with a 34-31 win in San Jose last year.

Saturday, Aug. 23

HAWAII

The season opener was the Cardinal’s second trip to the Islands in three seasons. The Warriors are scheduled to play at Stanford in 2026 and 2030.

Saturday, Aug. 30

BYE

Saturday, Sept. 6

BYU

Stanford’s only previous visit to Provo was in 2003.

Saturday, Sept. 13

7:30 p.m. ACCN

BOSTON COLLEGE

The Cardinal’s ACC opener is its first game against the Eagles since 2002 and just the fourth meeting all-time. Randy Fasani completed just 16 pass attempts, but four went for TDs, as Stanford handed BC a 38-22 loss on its most recent visit.

Saturday, Sept. 20

VIRGINIA

The first meeting between two schools that both have played football for more than 130 years. The Cavalier hasn’t had a winning season since 2019.

Saturday, Oct. 4

BYE

The Cardinal entered the season 26-15 since 2003 coming off a bye. Two of their three wins last season followed a bye week.

Saturday, Oct. 11

SMU

This will be Stanford’s first visit to Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Before last season, the teams had only met in the 1936 Rose Bowl — a 7-0 Stanford win. The Mustangs, also ACC newcomers a year ago, rolled to a 40-10 win at Stanford in their inaugural meeting as conference cohorts.

Saturday, Oct. 18 7:30 p.m., ESPN

FLORIDA STATE

This will be the first time the teams have ever faced each other in football, and the new ACC rivals had only played once in men’s basketball (in 2022) before last season. The Seminoles are coming off their first 10-loss season since 1974.

Saturday, Oct. 25

MIAMI

Stanford will play its first-ever game against the Hurricanes. The only other time the Cardinal played a football game in the state of Florida was in 1986 for the Gator Bowl. Clemson beat the No. 20 ranked Cardinal 27-21 in Jacksonville.

Saturday, Nov. 1 PITTSBURGH

This will be just the second meeting between the schools since 1932 and only the second that wasn’t in a bowl game. Stanford beat the Panthers in the 1928 Rose Bowl and the 2018 Sun Bowl.

Saturday, Nov. 8

NORTH CAROLINA

This will be the teams’ first meeting since the 2016 Sun Bowl. The Cardinal didn’t have Christian McCaffrey, who skipped the game to prepare for the NFL draft, but Bryce Love rushed for 119 yards and caught a 49-yard touchdown pass to help power Stanford to a 25-23 win.

Saturday, Nov. 15

BYE

Saturday, Nov. 22

CAL

The Big Game kicks off its 128th edition. Stanford has lost four in a row since the Cardinal blocked a would-be tying extra point in the final minute in Berkeley to take back the Axe.

Saturday, Nov. 29

Could this be the end of an era? The teams have played in all but one non-COVID impacted season since 1988, but as camp opened, this was the last game on either team’s future schedules. Stanford has lost five of the past six games, the past two by a combined score of 105-30.

Perez has helped rustle up the SJSU roster and the trailblazer is just getting

started

BY ANDREW HARTLEY

Beca Perez is in just her second season at San Jose State, but the 27-year-old has already made a massive imprint on the program that finished last season with the most wins of any Football Bowl Subdivision school in California.

Perez is San Jose State’s director of player personnel, overseeing the program’s recruiting efforts. The Sunnyvale native was one of just three women with that job at the FBS level in 2024.

“I have a hard time remembering everybody that I run into, but people don’t really forget about me,” said Perez, who can be easily spotted on the Spartans sideline by her chrome Quay sunglasses that shine like medieval armor.

The difference between Perez and her fellow groundbreakers — Callie Cameron at Baylor and Zaire Turner at Notre Dame — is the level of resources available.

“Some schools will have a group of, say, 15 people scouting and separating different positions, said SJSU head coach Ken Niumatalolo, who, like Perez, is in his second season with the Spartans. “She does it all on her own.”

Perez’s influence has been noticed beyond the SJSU campus. She was named one of 247Sports’ top 30 college football coaches and staffers under 30 last season.

Perez first met Niumatalolo in 2023, when he was the tight ends coach at UCLA and she was Stanford’s assistant director of

“ There’s times where it does hit me where there’s not many females, let alone Hispanic females, that are doing this every day. I hope to continue to break more barriers and make sure that I leave a path for others that want to follow,” said Beca Perez, the SJSU football team’s director of player personnel.

ARIC CRABB/STAFF

recruiting. The pair chatted about their service academy backgrounds — Perez had been Army’s recruiting director in 2022, and Niumatalolo had spent the previous 14 seasons as Navy’s head coach.

The pair also had a connection to Preston Pehrson, Perez’s boss at Stanford. He was Navy’s director of player personnel in 2017 under Niumatalolo and had known the coach since he was a teen.

When Niumatalolo was hired at San Jose State, one of the first people he reached out to was Pehrson — to ask about Perez.

Pehrson’s response: “I don’t know why you wouldn’t hire her.”

The next day, Perez got a puzzling text from Pehrson wishing her luck with “Coach Ken.”

She had sent Niumatalolo a congratulations text but did not think much of it. Then she got a call at 8 a.m. from Niumatalolo.

“There are certain moments I really don’t forget, that I can replay in my head all the time, and that was definitely one of them,” Perez said.

By 9:30, Perez was at the SJSU football offices for a staff meeting.

The South Bay has long been home for Perez.

Playing football with her cousins in the streets of Sunnyvale until the lights came on is where her love for sport began.

As a freshman at St. Francis High, she and her friends decided to acclimate themselves at their new school by trying out to manage the football team.

“It was one of those things like, ‘Let’s take a whack at it,’” she recalled. “Never did I think it would get to the point that I’m in this position now.”

Perez was familiar with the St. Francis football culture, going to Friday night games with her grandma, who worked at the school as a cook. During summers, she would help her wash dishes and attend the sports

When Ken Niumatalolo was hired as the head football coach at San Jose State, one of his first moves was to bring in Beca Perez as the Spartans’ director of player personnel.

camps. As a high schooler, she became a part of that team she watched growing up.

“It wasn’t really until I graduated from high school when I actually fell in love with the game of football and knew the opportunities that I could have,” Perez said. “The boundaries that I could break seemed a little bit more challenging, and I wanted to attack that challenge.

“There’s times where it does hit me where there’s not many females, let alone Hispanic females, that are doing this every day. I hope to continue to break more barriers and make sure that I leave a path for oth-

ers that want to follow.”

Perez has moved up the college football ladder quickly. In 2016, she was the equipment manager at the College of San Mateo. When CSM’s special teams coordinator Fred Guidici was hired at SJSU a year later, Perez followed to serve as a student assistant coach. Her connections with Guidici and fellow SJSU assistants Derrick Odum and Kevin McGiven connected her with Army special teams coordinator Sean Saturnio, who helped Perez land her first fulltime job as the Black Knights’ director of recruiting.

Then came her dream job at

SJSU. But Perez was presented with a challenge: building a Division I program essentially from scratch.

When former head coach Brent Brennan took the job at Arizona, 28 players tested the transfer portal. Spartans star wide receiver Nick Nash entered his name in the portal the day Perez started.

“He told me, ‘The house is burning down right now,” Perez said, laughing about her first phone call with Niumatalolo.

But Perez helped put out the fire. And then helped spark a new era for the program.

Working from her “15-by-15-

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY

foot office,” and using her personal phone, Perez utilized all her connections and resources. Perez says X, formerly known as Twitter, is her No. 1 tool and allows her to discover athletes all over the nation.

“She’s the one person I don’t mind on her phone at practice because she’s constantly on it, social media, doing things that keep us 19 steps ahead,” Niumatalolo said.

Perez more than helped the Spartans keep up during what could have been a difficult transition season.

SJSU opened the season with just 52 returning players, the third-fewest in college football. But the Spartans, who were picked to finish 10th in the Mountain West, placed fifth and earned a berth in the Hawaii Bowl. It was SJSU’s third straight bowl appearance, establishing the most successful run in school history.

“Last year was chaos,” Perez said. “I felt like I was swimming, working kind of nonstop. It was probably closer to 15-hour days.”

After she survived that whirlpool, this offseason has felt completely different.

She now races Niumatalolo to see who can arrive first to the office, the winner normally getting there at 4:45 a.m. The to-do list ranges from focusing on the ever-evolving transfer portal to high school recruiting or directing attention to the current roster.

“I’m excited because I’ve learned a lot, I feel I’ve grown as a person and in this position,” Perez said. “I feel comfortable now, I’m not swimming.”

But Perez isn’t satisfied. She says she has a chip on her shoulder to make the most of her opportunity and of SJSU’s resources.

“We’re doing a lot more with very little,” Perez said. “We have a really special group of kids and a really special team that I can at least say I had a hand in.”

San Jose State schedule

BYE

Friday, Aug. 29

CENTRAL MICHIGAN

The Chippewas’ only other trip to San Jose was in 1979.

at Texas

Saturday, Sept. 6

TEXAS

The Spartans’ first top-5 ranked opponent since 2013, and their third since 2010.

Saturday, Sept. 13

BYE

The Spartans were 2-0 after a bye week last season, beating Nevada and Pac-12 holdover Oregon State. Since 2020, SJSU is 9-4 coming off a bye.

Saturday, Sept. 20, 2 p.m.

IDAHO

The Spartans and Vandals played together in the Western Athletic Conference from 2005-12 but haven’t met since Idaho returned to the FCS level in 2018. Idaho has reached the quarterfinals of the I-AA/FCS playoffs the past two seasons.

Saturday, Sept. 27

STANFORD

Last season, San Jose State snapped a six-game losing streak in the rivalry game that was named the Bill Walsh Legacy Game after the former SJSU and Stanford coaching legend died in 2007. Now, SJSU is looking for its first win at Stanford since 2000. The last time the Spartans won consecutive games in the series was when they won three in a row, all at Stanford, from 1998-2000.

Friday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m.

NEW MEXICO

The Lobos haven’t had a winning season since 2016, but former Idaho coach Jason Eck didn’t waste any time shaking things up. New Mexico opened camp under Eck, their third head coach in three years, with more than 50 new players on its roster.

Saturday, Oct. 11, 4 p.m.

TEXAS

The Spartans have won six of their past seven games against the Cowboys, including the past three.

Friday, Oct 17, 6 p.m.

UTAH STATE

The teams didn’t meet last season, but in 2023, the Spartans snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Aggies. The 4221 breakthrough came after SJSU lost by three or more touchdowns six times during the streak.

Saturday, Oct. 25

BYE

Saturday, Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m.

HAWAII

The last time Hawaii visited Spartan Stadium, the final regular season game of 2022, SJSU won 27-14 to finish 6-0 at home for the first time since 1978.

Saturday, Nov. 8, TBA

AIR FORCE

Ken Niumatalolo has been a college player or coach for 40 seasons, and second-year San Jose State head coach is facing the Cadets for the 36th time. The longtime Navy head coach’s teams went 7-8 against Air Force, and SJSU beat the Cadets 17-7 last fall.

Saturday, Nov 15, 12:30 p.m.

NEVADA

The Wolf Pack have had three head coaches over the past five seasons, are coming off three consecutive 10-loss seasons and were the preseason pick to finish last in the Mountain West. But six of their losses last season were by a touchdown or less. SJSU needed wide receiver Nick Nash’s touchdown pass with 50 seconds left to escape with a 35-31 home win.

Saturday, Nov 22, TBA

SAN DIEGO STATE

A battle of head coaches in their second seasons with their new teams. Sean Lewis’ first Aztecs squad went 3-9, but Deion Sanders’ former offensive coordinator (and the former Kent State head coach) is expected to turn SDSU around quickly.

Saturday, Nov. 29

FRESNO STATE

This is the final time the rivals will meet before the Bulldogs move to the Pac-12 next season. But thanks to the MW schedule makers, it might be for a spot in the conference title game. SJSU, picked to finish third in the preseason, doesn’t face the projected 1-2 finishers in the 12-team conference, Boise State and UNLV (who play each other), or No. 4 pick Colorado State. The Bulldogs, picked to finish fifth, lost two of their past three visits to San Jose.

Where to toast your team

Go for the grub, the gulps and the great big screens at these terrific sports bars

BY LINDA ZAVORAL AND LAURENCE MIEDEMA

It’s shaping up to be quite a season. The Super Bowl is returning to the Bay Area in February, and the 49ers figure to be right in the mix. And new eras are underway for the college football teams.

For fans looking to get a break from keeping tabs on their teams from home, here’s a sampling of sports bars where Niners, Raiders, Cardinal, Golden Bears or Spartans supporters can gather to root for the home team.

CLARA’S JUNCTION

Santa Clara

You can’t get much closer to Levi’s Stadium without having a ticket to the game.

Just a five-minute walk from the action, this spacious indoor-outdoor sports bar (and family-friendly restaurant) sprouted last September in the city’s fast-growing Clara District. Snag lawn chairs or a picnic table for the backyard barbecue vibe. (Your well-behaved dog in red and gold is welcome outside, too.) The Pit offers smokehouse

specials, while Taz’s Tacos fills tortillas with Chicken Tinga, Beef Birria and Baja Fish. Inside, the chef-driven menu ranges from sandwiches like the Crispy Chicken with apple slaw and hot honey and the Tri-Tip Steak with Point Reyes blue cheese to entrees like Lemon-Roasted Petaluma Farms Chicken and Pan-Seared Salmon.

Sports decor is limited. “We want to be everybody’s favorite spot,” not just football fans, GM Henry Hiatt says. Still, take the time to appreciate the cool artwork custom-made from driftwood. Looks to us like a pile of players the ref will have to untangle to see if they got the first.

By the numbers: 14 TV screens (nine inside, five outside) and 12 beer taps.

Good to know: The VTA’s Lick Mill lightrail stop is right across the street, so there’s no need to search for $80 parking on game days.

Details: On game days, the Junction opens by 11 a.m. or three hours before a home-game kickoff.

2221 Tasman Drive, Santa Clara; www. clarasjunction.com.

VJ’S SPORTS BAR X PIZZA Alameda

If there’s a 10-year-old girl in the family who knows when to yell, “Epic pick!” then get her and the rest of the kids here to share their enthusiasm.

VJ’s is a family-friendly, lightfilled spot in Alameda’s West End owned by restaurateur Varun “VJ” Limbachiya, who ran the Straw Hat at this site for a dozen years before deciding in 2021 to transform the place into his own space.

Young athletes know VJ’s well as a gathering spot for the Alameda Little League and other boys’ and girls’ sports teams.

Above: Bartender

Daniel Hennessey mixes drinks during happy hour at VJ’s Sports Bar X Pizza in Alameda.

JANE TYSKA/STAFF

Right: The BBQ tritip steak sandwich at Clara’s Junction in Santa Clara.

NHAT V. MEYER/STAFF

Pizzas still rule here. They’re available in four sizes, including individual. Popular orders include The Works, with six meats plus mushrooms, olives and bells, and the California Veggie, a combination of fresh broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, red onions, with a dusting of Cajun spices. Sandwiches, pastas and garlic twists round out the menu.

Smaller portioned and priced children’s meals — pizza, pasta, burger or wings with beverage — are available also.

By the numbers: 14 TV screens, 20 beer taps.

Good to know: If you’re an Ultimate Fighting Championship fan, VJ’s shows all the fights — with no cover charge.

Details: Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Sundays.

901 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda; www.vjspizza.com

DOUBLE D’S SPORTS GRILLE

Los Gatos

Dean and Darin Devincenzi’s eponymous restaurant and sports bar is still going strong after 29 years. You can’t miss it — Double D’s holds down one corner at the entrance to downtown Los Gatos, with a huge shaded patio out front. When it comes to food, Double D’s stands apart from most other sports hangouts, with an executive chef, Robert Moreno, at the helm all these years. Filet mignon stars in his Steak Fettuccine, Southwest Steak Salad and Steak Sandwich. The Cajun Pasta Genovese with chicken is a hit, as are his soups. And what sports fan can pass up an appetizer called The GOAT? That’s focaccia crostini topped with goat cheese, ricotta and parmesan, tomatoes and basil and drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Like most longtime sports hangouts, Double D’s doubles as a museum, with Joe Montana’s No. 16 jersey and tons of other

cool Niners, Sharks, Giants and other sports memorabilia on display.

By the numbers: There are 35 TVs inside and out, including some whoppers — an 85-incher and several 75s. Ten beer taps.

Good to know: You can catch all of the San Jose State, Cal and Stanford games here.

Details: Breakfast menu available starting at 9:30 a.m. Sundays during football season. Otherwise, open for lunch and dinner daily, starting at 11:30 a.m.

354 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos; www.doubleds.com

RICKEY’S SPORTS LOUNGE

San Leandro

Formerly the home of Raider Nation, this legendary sports bar has settled nicely into its role as a welcoming home for fans of all sports, all teams — as evidenced by the turnout for this year’s NBA finals. But this will be the third

The patio dining area at Double D’s Sports Grille in Los Gatos features covered outdoor dining. NHAT V. MEYER/STAFF

season of football since entrepreneur Ramonn Smith turned what was called Ricky’s Sports Theatre & Grill into Rickey’s Sports Lounge. The bar has been in its current location on Hesperian Boulevard since 1960, though the father of the late, longtime owner, Ricky Ricardo, opened the business in 1946.

Look for a big tailgate party to kick off NFL play on Sept. 7. During the season, breakfast is served on Sunday mornings (think Chicken and Waffles, Shrimp and Grits) followed in the afternoon and evening by such menu favorites as the fried, garlicky Whole Snapper, Wings and Catfish Sliders.

By the numbers: There are 38 screens, two TV walls, six beer raps.

Good to know: Surprise guests are always a possibility. Retired tackle Lincoln Kennedy came by in July to sign autographs and hang with members of the infamous Black Hole.

Details: Open at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays, noon on Saturdays. .

15028 Hesperian Blvd., San Leandro; www.rickeysca.com

DUTCH GOOSE

Menlo Park

If you’re a sucker for wooden booths carved with names from yesteryear and walls decorated with neon beer signs, get yourself over to the Goose for a game — and the old-school atmosphere.

This legendary watering hole and restaurant is marking its 59th anniversary this year, with a clientele that ranges from longtime Peninsula residents to young customers who may be living here just long enough to get a Stanford degree.

Order the wildly popular Spicy Deviled Eggs while you’re

waiting for your French Dip with grilled onions and cheese (they roast the beef in house) or the Alburger Pizza. Served here since the beginning in 1966, the deviled egg halves are overflowing with super creamy, paprika-dusted filling. (The recipe is top secret, so don’t even ask.)

By the way: According to Dutch Goose lore, the original owner named this place for the bar in Kansas where he had his first beer.

By the numbers: 11 TV screens, 12 beer taps.

Good to know: There’s a pool table surrounded by arcade games.

Details: Open daily from 11 a.m. till midnight Sunday-Wednesday, until 2 a.m. Thursday-Saturday.

3567 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Parkwww. dutchgoose.net

STADIUM PUB

Walnut Creek

Established in 1992, Walnut Creek’s oldest sports bar turns 33 this season and is going strong as ever.

Sundays belong to the NFL — you’ll find every NFL game

Opposite: Linebacker Fred Warner is preparing for his eighth season with the 49ers. Only George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk, who both debuted a season earlier in 2017, have been with the team longer than the fourtime All-Pro.

JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO/STAFF ARCHIVE

available — but owner Patty Sherman says some of Stadium Pub’s busiest days are college football Saturdays. And there are plenty of screens to accommodate Cal, Stanford and San Jose State fans as well as transplanted Buckeyes, Longhorns, Cougars and others. The menu is filled with bar food favorites, including eight different variations of toppings for French fries. Longtime favorites are the signature Chicago-style hot dogs, served on Mary Ann buns brought in from the Windy City.

By the numbers: More than 40 TV screens and every package imaginable. There are more than 15 beers on tap.

Good to know: The Stadium Pub is also dog friendly, so Fido can enjoy the game — and a cool bowl of water — with the gang. Signature cocktails for two-legged visitors include the Hail Mary Bloody Mary and the Stadium Margarita.

Details: On weekend game days, the Stadium Pub opens at 9 a.m. and offers breakfast. Saturdays, that means breakfast burritos, and Sundays, the early menu typically includes 4-5 items. Otherwise, hours are: Monday — Wednesday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday 1:30 a.m.-to 10 p.m.; Friday

- Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 11a.m. to midnight.

1420 Lincoln Ave, Walnut Creek; www. thestadiumpubwc.com

O’SULLIVAN’S SPORTS PUB

Newark

If you want to be able to enjoy watching the big game with a large group — but also have access to midgame diversions or find a place to slink away if your team goes south — this longtime neighborhood establishment has you covered.

O’Sullivan’s stretches across virtually the entire length of Newark Square — the 110-foot bar is one of the longest in Northern California — with more than two dozen screens visible from any vantage point. If you need a break from the game, there are two dart boards, wooden tower blocks, lineem-up and ring toss games on the walls and a newly installed pool table.

The menu includes a wide variety of full meals, pub food, brunch options and sweets, including Guinness cake and churros that come on a plate, in a basket or in a bucket.

By the numbers: 55 TV screens and 27 beers on tap, including Pliny the Elder.

Good to know: Open from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. every day, but you have to be over 21 to get into the establishment. Limited reservations are available on game days.

Details: The facility is so big that there are two sound zones (so patrons can enjoy the audio of separate games) and a front and back bar stocked with more than 300 bourbons, whiskeys and tequilas. Dogs and smokers are allowed in the patio area.

5660 Thornton Ave, Newark; www. osullivansnewark.com

Above: People eat and drink at the Dutch Goose in Menlo Park.

SHAE HAMMOND/ STAFF

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