Christian McCaffrey officially joined the San Francisco 49ers on Friday and expressed excitement about joining the Kyle Shanahan-led offense.
Acquired from the Carolina Panthers on Thursday for a haul of draft picks, McCaffrey met with the media after taking part in his first practice with the 49ers.
"In my opinion, the best run game and one of the most explosive offenses in the league. How could you not want to play here as an offensive weapon," McCaffrey said. "I couldn’t be more fired up to be here. Obviously, I have a little bit of a history with coach Shanahan. I can’t express how happy I am to be here."
The trade sends McCaffrey back to the Bay Area where he starred in college at Stanford.
McCaffrey’s father, former NFL wild receiver Ed McCaffrey, won a Super with the 49ers in 1994 and won two more titles in Denver with Shanahan’s father, Mike, as his head coach.
"I don’t think there’s anybody better at putting guys in position to have success and tailoring to what they’re good at," McCaffrey said of Kyle Shanahan. "I’ve watched him to do some unbelievable things with some great running backs, even the guys in the room right now. I’m just excited to learn from them."
The 49ers will add McCaffrey to a group of playmakers that includes versatile receiver Deebo Samuel, star tight end George Kittle and receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Samuel has thrived under Shanahan in becoming one of the league’s most productive players and McCaffrey should be able to do many of the similar things, whether lining up in the backfield or in the slot as a receiver.
"It’s an honour to be compared to him [Samuel]," McCaffrey said. "I’m happy to share the locker room with him and I think we can do some exciting things."
While clearly one of the best running backs in the league, McCaffrey has had trouble staying healthy in recent seasons. He missed 23 games over the previous two seasons due to injuries but has played in all six games in 2022.
"I think you’re always adapting every offseason," McCaffrey said regarding injuries. "It’s a constant change in figuring out what’s the best thing to do, so I made some tweaks here and there, talked to some different guys. Every year I’ve made certain changes and at the end of the day, it’s an ongoing process. Just take it day by day."
McCaffrey ranks fourth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (607) despite playing for the league’s 32nd-ranked offense. He and Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb are the only players in the league to have five games this year with at least 100 yards from scrimmage.
Jets-Vikings among NFL's international games
Aaron Rodgers will meet an old rival in a new uniform as one of five International Games matchups announced by the NFL on Wednesday.
Rodgers' New York Jets will take on the Minnesota Vikings at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 6, one of three games that will take place in the United Kingdom capital in 2024.
The International Series will kick off on the league's opening weekend with a clash between Rodgers' former team, the Green Bay Packers, and the Philadelphia Eagles in São Paulo, Brazil on Friday, Sept. 6. That game will be the first of any kind held by the NFL in South America, as well as the first to take place on a Friday during Week 1 in more than 50 years.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will take part in the other two games held in London, and could face a rookie quarterback in each. Jacksonville will host the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Stadium on Oct. 13 and will meet the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium one week later on Oct. 20.
Chicago selected 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in this year's draft, while the Patriots chose North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick.
The Jaguars have been involved in more international games than any NFL team, as this season's matchups will be the 12th and 13th played in London in franchise history.
Munich, Germany will host the final 2024 international game when the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers square off at Allianz Arena on Nov. 10.
"We are delighted to announce these exciting matchups across London and Munich, in addition to the historic first game in São Paulo, Brazil, to complete the 2024 International Games slate," NFL executive vice president of club business, major events & international Peter O'Reilly said in a league press release. “As the league and its 32 teams continue to prioritise international growth, we look forward to building on the incredible fan experiences seen in Europe while taking the game to new fans in South America."
The Giants-Panthers contest will be the second to take place in Munich during the regular season, with the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers having met at Allianz Arena in 2022. The NFL staged two games in Frankfurt last season, including a 21-14 victory by the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs over the Miami Dolphins.
The NFL also announced on Wednesday that the Giants will be the featured team for its popular Hard Knocks television documentary series to be broadcast in July. This season's episodes will chronicle the team's day-to-day operations during this offseason.
Additionally, the league announced that its two Christmas Day games of the 2024 season will be broadcast by streaming service giant Netflix.
The participants of those two games will be announced when the NFL reveals its full 2024 schedule at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday.
Buccaneers, Antoine Winfield Jr. agree to four-year, $84M deal
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to a four-year, $84.1million contract extension, Winfield’s agent announced Monday.
The contract makes Winfield the NFL’s highest-paid defensive back and the first safety to ever hold that distinction.
Winfield’s contract includes $45m in guaranteed money. He had been scheduled to make about $17m next season under the franchise tag.
Winfield’s agent David Mulugheta posted the news on social media with a screen capture of the moment he informed Winfield that the deal was done.
"Couldn't be happier to make this call and let Antoine know he just made HISTORY! The first time that a safety is the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL," Mulugheta wrote.
"In a year where the value of safeties has been questioned, the Buccaneer Organization, the Glazer Family and GM Jason Licht have stepped up and taken care of one of their most valuable family members.
"Congratulations Antoine, you have accomplished something that has never been done before. You will forever be etched in history as the first. I appreciate your trust and cannot wait to see you back on the field."
Winfield, 25, is the son of retired defensive back Antoine Winfield Sr. and was drafted by the Buccaneers in the second round in 2020.
The 2023 All-Pro has become one of the best and most versatile defensive backs in the league and is coming off his best season.
In 17 games last season, Winfield set career bests with six sacks, three interceptions, 12 pass deflections, six forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
Winfield is the latest key contributor to be signed to an extension by the Buccaneers this offseason. Quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans and linebacker Lavonte David all signed deals this spring to remain with Tampa Bay.
Detroit Lions QB Goff agrees to $212M extension
The Detroit Lions and quarterback Jared Goff have agreed to a four-year, $212 million extension that will make him the NFL's second-highest-paid player, multiple outlets reported Monday.
According to NFL.com, Goff's new deal will begin in 2025 and includes an option for the 2028 season. The Associated Press reports that the three-time Pro Bowler will receive $170 million in guaranteed money.
Goff's average annual value of $53 million per year during the extension is surpassed only by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow for the highest in the NFL. Burrow will earn $55 million per year on a five-year, $275 million extension that begins this season.
The Lions have now locked up three core offensive players from a team that reached the 2023 NFC Championship game this offseason. Detroit previously signed top wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to a four-year, $120 million extension and All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell to a four-year, $112 million deal last month.
Goff was entering the final season of a four-year, $134 million contract he signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. The Lions acquired the 29-year-old from the Rams in March 2021 as part of the blockbuster trade that sent long-time Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles.
The trade has worked out very well for both teams. While the Rams won a Super Bowl in Stafford's first season, the Lions have gone 21-13 with Goff at quarterback over the past two years and reached the play-offs for the first time since 2016 after going 12-5 and winning the NFC's North Division in 2023.
Detroit then recorded post-season wins over the Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to earn the franchise's first appearance in the conference title game since 1991.
Goff's 4,575 passing yards in 2023 ranked second in the NFL and his 30 touchdown passes were the fourth-highest total in the league. Over his three seasons in Detroit, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick has compiled 12,258 passing yards with 78 touchdown passes and just 27 interceptions for a passer rating of 96.5.
Prior to his arrival with the Lions, Goff spent his first five seasons with the Rams. The best of those campaigns came in 2018, when he set career highs in passing yards (4,688) and touchdown passes (32) while leading the Rams to an appearance in Super Bowl LIII.
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