It’s been a wonky week. The holiday has thrown me off, and I can’t believe it’s already Thursday. I’ve got a couple of things left on the agenda this week, and then it’s all about Sunday night’s Taylor Swift show at Soldier Field (sorry, not sorry). Brock Purdy is probably a Taylor Swift fan as well (honestly, I have no idea, but I needed a transition), so we’ll start with some encouraging news surrounding the 49ers’ quarterback.
Brock Purdy had his first throwing session this week since his elbow surgery in March. According to 49ers GM John Lynch, the “early returns are really good.” Lynch’s comments on SiriusXM’s NFL Radio pointed toward Purdy being slightly ahead of schedule.
Lynch called Purdy being ready for training camp a “best case scenario,” and said that he was impressed by Purdy’s throwing session that took place at a 49ers OTA that was closed to the media this week.
“He’s had one (throwing) session thus far and we’re incredibly encouraged by that,” Lynch said Wednesday morning on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “He’s hitting all his marks and that doesn’t surprise us, because he’s putting in all the work.
Lynch’s comments continue to be in line with the belief that Brock Purdy will be the 49ers starter when he is healthy. However, Lynch did have some praise for Trey Lance and Sam Darnold. Lynch said that Lance had a “really quality offseason.” He also said that Darnold has “taken to the coaching and structure we can give to him.”
The 49ers’ QB situation remains interesting because someone will be the odd man in San Francisco. Especially if there are no setbacks for Purdy between now and then. Still, all the reports out of San Francisco have been glowing for Lance and Darnold. Of course, the 49ers would like the depth behind Purdy, but can they keep all three? I believe the more likely scenario would be Purdy as the starter, Darnold as his backup, and Trey Lance eventually traded. But we shall see.
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones spoke to the media for the first time since the 2022 season ended on Wednesday. Jones was the center of plenty of speculation this offseason, but he’s the Patriots’ presumptive QB1 heading into 2023. The difference this season is that Jones will have an actual offensive coordinator in New England. A welcomed return to normalcy for Jones.
“It’s been really good. It’s been normal,” Jones said in his press conference. “I think everything he’s done so far has been really good. I think the communication is the most important part, and trust. I think it starts with that when you’re with a new coach and he’s done a great job in controlling the room. I feel like everybody is on the same page.
During that press conference, Jones acknowledged the offseason noise surrounding his standing as the top dog in the Patriots QB room. However, Jones said that he will keep working and gain the confidence of those around him through his reps this summer.
“Sometimes the most confident people come from a year where they might have not been their best,” Jones said. “I feel like that’s where I’m at. We all feel like that, so we’re all hungry.”
Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator was a hot name in this year’s coaching cycle. But he’s back in the news today for a much different reason. According to an ESPN report, Morris aided in saving a young child’s life at a Las Vegas swimming pool. According to the report, Morris ran to retrieve an AED defibrillator that he was able to hand to a doctor who was on sight at the time.
The incident occurred at the Encore Las Vegas. Morris was there with his family when the three-year-old boy was pulled from the pool. The child had no pulse when he was pulled from the water.
“I saw people calling 911 so my first question was, where is the AED?” Morris told ESPN on Wednesday, referring to an automatic external defibrillator, which Morris then ran to retrieve. “When I got back, we had a doctor on site that was able to start the compressions. I was able to hand the AED to him, get it open for him, put the pads on the child, and he ended up being OK.”
According to Morris, the Rams recent CPR, AED, and first aid training made him aware of the proper protocols and the importance of an AED in that situation. “I’m just thankful I knew what to do,” Raheem Morris said. “You just never know when you’re going to need that stuff.”
You can read the full story here:
We can finally put the Tom Brady comeback narrative to bed!
Things sound like they’re going well in Cleveland …
Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).
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