NEWSLETTER
Labor Day has come and gone, we’re two weeks into the college football slate, and the NFL kicks off on Thursday when the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens square off in an AFC Championship rematch; football is as back as it gets—that and more in today’s NFL Notes.
Football is Back!
The 2024 NFL season commences on Thursday night with the Kansas City Chiefs, the current world champions, hosting the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. These two squads previously clashed in the 2023 AFC championship at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.
The Ravens, who held the top seed in the conference, were favored to win by 4 points over the Chiefs, who entered the postseason as the third seed. However, the Chiefs managed to limit the Ravens to just 10 points for the third time that season, resulting in a 17-10 victory for the Chiefs. Following this triumph, the Chiefs secured Super Bowl LVIII by defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime, becoming the first team to achieve back-to-back NFL championships in nearly two decades.
As they commence their 2024 campaign, the Chiefs strive for a historic first-ever Super Bowl three-peat, while the Ravens are determined to thwart their aspirations.
On Friday, we’ll be treated to more NFL action when the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles travel to Brazil to open their seasons. Green Bay opens the season as favorites in the NFC North after a tremendous second-half run by Jordan Love that propelled the Packers into the postseason. After winning six of their final eight regular season games, Green Bay knocked off the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round before losing to the San Franciso 49ers by a field goal in the Divisional Round.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are looking for a rebound season, and if they can’t achieve it, change is likely coming to Philadelphia.
Trent Williams, 49ers Finalize New Deal
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams is ending his holdout with the 49ers after the 11-time Pro Bowler and San Francisco agreed on a new deal on Tuesday.
Williams is back as the 49ers resume practice after the Labor Day weekend. After months of discussions, the team reached a $120 million extension deal with Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk is expected to practice with the team for the first time since the Super Bowl. The Williams negotiations didn’t reach the same level of tension as Aiyuk’s, and the 49ers did not express concern about reaching an agreement with Williams.
“I’m optimistic that things will work out with Trent,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday. “I’m not sitting here knowing what day it’ll be. … When two sides want to get a deal done, usually it happens.”
Williams still had three years remaining on the six-year, $138 million contract he signed in 2021. However, there was no more guaranteed money on that contract. He had been due a base salary of just over $20 million this season, and the most significant portion of cash remaining on that initial deal wasn’t scheduled until the 2026 season, when Williams will be 38.
49ers Rookie Wide Receiver Ricky Pearsall on the Reserve/NFI List
On Monday, the San Francisco 49ers placed rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on the reserve/non-football injury list. He will miss at least the 49ers’ first four regular-season games. The 23-year-old Pearsall was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco on Saturday. Pearsall, who didn’t need surgery, was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon.
“He and his family, along with the entire San Francisco 49ers organization, would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department, emergency medical services, doctors, and staff at San Francisco General Hospital,” the 49ers said Sunday.
The robbery attempt and shooting took place in the Union Square area of San Francisco on Saturday afternoon. The police have confirmed that a 17-year-old suspect from Tracy, Calif., located about 60 miles east of San Francisco, is in custody. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins stated on Saturday that she expects to make a charging decision by Tuesday or Wednesday.
San Francisco will open their season next Monday against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.
Tyler Huntley Returns to the Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have re-signed Tyler Huntley, Lamar Jackson’s backup for parts of the previous four seasons, to their practice squad. The Cleveland Browns released Huntley after initially making their 53-man roster as one of four quarterbacks. However, he was let go after the Browns failed to find a trade partner. The Ravens had one open spot on their practice squad, so Huntley’s addition did not require any corresponding moves. He will join rookie sixth-round quarterback Devin Leary on the practice squad. Josh Johnson, 38, will serve as Jackson’s primary backup at the beginning of the season. The Ravens will start their season on Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Huntley originally signed with Baltimore as a college free agent after going undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft. He joined the Ravens partly due to his existing relationship with Jackson, with whom he had been high school rivals in South Florida. In his time with the Ravens, he started 10 games and has thrown for 2,243 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while rushing for 595 yards and three scores in 22 career games.
