Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Rob Gronkowski places Brock Purdy's NFL MVP odds above two powerhouse QBs

By Dylan Grausz

Rob Gronkowski told Kay Adams on Up & Adams that Brock Purdy should be the MVP favorite through four weeks, ahead of Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. Purdy has thrown for 1,007 yards and is tied for the league lead with 11 touchdowns against one interception, and his two scores to Deebo Samuel and George Kittle sealed the 24-14 win over Denver. Gronk also hedged, saying four weeks is too early to crown anyone.

49ers LB Dre Greenlaw fined for taunting and cussing at the Broncos sideline

By Kyle Posey

The NFL fined Dre Greenlaw $11,941 for taunting and cussing at Sean Payton's Broncos sideline during the 24-14 win. Greenlaw said he was still angry that Denver released him without Payton calling him first. Payton did not bite back, saying he thinks the world of him and loves how he plays.

Kyle Shanahan, Brock Purdy explain those bizarre fourth-and-1 calls against the Broncos

By Patrick Holloway

Shanahan and Purdy explained the two strange fourth-and-1 calls from the Denver win. The first was a QB sneak on what Shanahan admitted was a little long. The second was a botched snap that bounced off Jake Brendel's backside, and rookie Kaelon Black snatched the loose ball and dove for the first down, setting up a Deebo Samuel touchdown a few plays later.

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings: Where do the 49ers rank among undefeated teams?

By Rohan Chakravarthi

ESPN, USA Today, and CBS Sports all put the 4-0 49ers at No. 1 after the Broncos win and Buffalo's loss. San Francisco is one of three unbeaten teams, leads the NFL at plus-58 in point differential, and has not allowed a sack through four games, per USA Today. Sunday's road trip to Seattle looms as a three-point-underdog test.

5 final observations from the 49ers win over the Broncos

By Rohan Chakravarthi

Purdy's MVP case, Raheem Morris generating 16 pressures on Bo Nix with a battered defensive line, and a receiver corps that looks like the one thing that could hold the offense back lead the takeaways from the 24-14 Sunday night win over Denver. The top-five offensive line kept Purdy upright again despite the heat.

How Kaelon Black's heads-up instincts bailed out Jake Brendel on big 49ers play

By Matt Maiocco

Jake Brendel's botched snap against the Broncos looked like a costly mistake on Sunday, but rookie running back Kaelon Black's quick thinking saved the play. The veteran center was still grateful days later.

49ers' Mykel Williams itching to make season debut vs. Seahawks after ACL rehab

By Jennifer Lee Chan

Mykel Williams is nearly a year removed from the ACL tear that ended his rookie season in the Week 9 win over the Giants, and he is done waiting. The second-year defensive lineman expects to make his season debut Sunday in Seattle, and watching Nick Bosa, Alfred Collins, CJ West and James Thompson Jr. all get sidelined has made the rehab grind feel longer. Bosa, who has been through ACL rehab twice, walked him through the recovery, and Williams comes back leaner after cutting sugar. He is not pretending his nine-game rookie tape was good enough: he called out his own get-off, pad level, hand usage and rush plan, and said he did not play to his ability. Asked how fast he can find his pass-rush form, Williams smiled: “We are going to see Sunday.”

NFL, Players Association adjust celebration fines after Kyle Juszczyk reversal

By Vince Lontz

After the league reversed Kyle Juszczyk's fine for his patented juice-sipping celebration, the NFL and the Players Association adjusted their celebration fine protocol. Sipping on juice is officially no longer a fine.

Three takeaways from Kyle Shanahan's Tuesday press conference

Shanahan downplayed the injury scare from practice, praised the rookie wideout's route detail, and gave a characteristically dry answer when asked about the upcoming opponent's blitz rate. He also confirmed the team will stay with the current kicker through the week despite Sunday's miss.

Tuesday practice report: two starters return, one new name on the injury list

Both of the starters who sat out Sunday were back in helmets for the early open portion of practice, which is about as good a sign as you get on a Tuesday. The concerning part is a rotational defensive lineman who left the field midway through individual drills and did not return. Full participation designations land tomorrow.

What the Week 5 film says about the 49ers' reshuffled offensive line

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Two games into the new combination up front, the protection numbers are trending the right way even if the run game still looks like a work in progress. The piece walks through three second-half drives where the pocket held up long enough for the deep shots to develop, and flags one recurring stunt pickup the group has to clean up before the pass rush gets nastier in the next two weeks.

At the quarter mark, the 49ers defense is starting to look like itself again

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Through five weeks the red zone numbers have climbed back toward the top of the league, and the third-down defense is no longer the liability it was in September. The story credits a simplified rotation up front and a linebacker playing the best ball of his career, while noting the next stretch of quarterbacks will be the real test.