49ers
49ers QB Mac Jones said he’s learned a lot throughout his professional career after being with two of the best coaches in the game. He added that he’s ready to play whenever the team needs him to.
“Just continue to grow as a player and a person and a teammate,” Jones said, via NBC Sports. “I know it’s going to take care of itself, the way I work. And they’ve rubbed off on me, too. So, I’m working hard. They’re working hard, and my goal is to be ready to play when I have to go in, and that’s all you can ask for.”
Cardinals
Cardinals S Budda Baker is giving all he has to the organization that drafted him and is ready to find team success after a good offseason and noted improvement from QB Kyler Murray.
“I was drafted here, I know it was a different GM and a different coaching staff, but for me, all I’ve been trying to do is do my job at a high level each and every day,” Baker said on The Mina Kimes Show. “Of course, I’m a sore loser, I hate losing, and my career with the Cardinals has kind of been more losing than winning. But for me, it’s just stay ten toes down, you believe in what you believe in, and I believe in this coaching staff, I believe in these players that we brought in, free agency, draft, and very excited for the future.”
“We haven’t had a lot of national games, and people kind of see him as a ‘shirt’ guy, but this guy can make all the throws inside the pocket, outside the pocket, and he’s quick,” Baker added on Murray. “You see it on tape, he’s outrunning everybody all the time. … It’s definitely exciting, but it’s cool to just lay under the weeds and have him be that underrated guy, just kind of show who he is this year and throughout the whole season.”
Seahawks
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold was prepared for a question during a press conference about his final two games with the Vikings in 2024, in which he took several sacks in blowout losses.
“I was waiting for someone to bring that up,” said Darnold, via Brady Henderson of ESPN. “I appreciate that. No, it’s fair, man…I think being able to get the ball out a little bit quicker … and even if a guy is covered, even if my back’s covered on a checkdown, just throwing it at his feet. I feel like I was taking some unnecessary sacks last year, especially those last few games.”
Seattle has prepared for the arrival of Darnold with new OC Klint Kubiak making the playcalling and drafting LG Grey Zabel with the 18th overall pick.
“I’ll definitely be thinking about that,” Darnold added on his last games of 2024.“Keeping two hands on the ball in the pocket at all times. Just doing all the little fundamental things, but that’s a big one, is being able to just get the ball out on time. That’s a balance of playing quarterback. I think that’s sometimes the hardest part about it is understanding, ‘OK, do I give this enough time to develop, and it might be open? Or do I just check it down because the rush might be coming?’ That’s always kind of the dichotomy of playing quarterback in general. That’s the fun part about our job is we get to make decisions like that.”
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