49ers
49ers LB Fred Warner has been out since Week 6 with a dislocated ankle, and there has been hope that he can return if they make it far enough in the playoffs. Although HC Kyle Shanahan doesn’t expect Warner to practice this week, the All-Pro linebacker feels ready to go and is doing all he can to get back on the field.
“I’m ready whenever they’re ready,” Warner said via The Ryen Russillo Show. “There’s some T’s that have got to be crossed, I’s that have got to be dotted. Unfortunately, if it were just up to me, I’d be out there this weekend, but it’s unfortunately not that way. I’ve got to make sure I’m checking all the boxes, and everybody has to give me the OK before they let me go out there.”
“But I’m pushing, man. I’m training hard. I’m back doing full football drills and everything, so time will tell. We’ve got to pull the win off first.”
Lions
Lions DT Roy Lopez is set to be a free agent again after signing a one-year deal with Detroit for 2025. Lopez would absolutely like to return to the Lions because of the elite defensive line room that helps him be the best version of himself.
“For sure, this place has been great for me,” Lopez said, via the team’s website. “My lady loves it, so that’s nice. It’s been good for me, man. It’s been good in the fact of it’s such a great room I’ve been a part of. Being able to see routines on a weekly basis, whether it’s Hutch (Aidan Hutchinson) and DJ (Reader) or whether it’s Alim (McNeill). It’s changed my career.”
Rams
Rams QB Matthew Stafford sprained his right index finger in the team’s Wild Card round win over the Panthers. The veteran signal caller downplayed the severity of the injury and doesn’t see it holding him back despite the forecasted chilly temperatures in Chicago on Sunday.
“Hand is good. I’m not worried about it at all,” Stafford said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I was just throwing a ball over the middle to Puka (Nacua) and caught somebody’s forearm. Just bent it way back. I just was looking down a little bit, like what’s this thing gonna look like when I go down there and look at it? But it was fine, a little bit stiff throughout the game, like a jammed finger. But I know by Sunday next week I’ll be feeling great.”
“No, I really don’t see there being any kind of an issue for me on Sunday. I feel like I’ll be feeling great by then. I’ll probably feel really good by Wednesday of this week, to be honest with you. I’ll do a bunch of treatment, get it feeling good. I played a bunch of games with all sorts of ailments to my hand, in whatever weather, so whatever it is, I’ll be ready to rock and roll on Sunday.”
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