Minter: No deadline to name starting center

At least that was coach Mike Macdonald’s assessment after Price missed his second consecutive session Saturday. Any missed practice time can be a big deal for a rookie in camp, but Price appears to have avoided calamity. Fowler confirms Price has “highly impressed Seattle in camp.” Looking to dominate early-down reps before Zach Charbonnet’s return, Price is reportedly also trying to get up to speed as a pass catcher. That would be a nice added bonus, but any early-season fantasy value would almost certainly be derived from a two-down workload and goal-line carries.

Fresh off becoming one of the highest paid offensive lineman in the history of the league, Tunsil suffered the injury in Saturday’s practice. He is expected to undergo surgery, and his absence will be measured in months, probably a minimum of 3-4 of them. It’s possible he misses the entire campaign. It appears the initial plan is for last season’s swing tackle, Andrew Wylie, to step in on the blindside, leaving 2025 first-rounder Josh Conerly to remain on the right. Brandon Coleman is another less-than-great in-house option. We wouldn’t be surprised if Conerly eventually kicks left, however. Whatever happens, it’s a monumental downgrade, one that will have Washington scouring the remains of the free agent market and perhaps angling for a trade to add some depth. It’s not the news Jayden Daniels needed as he himself looks to stay healthy after an injury-cursed year.

The move makes sense considering Trask served as the backup quarterback in Tampa under Dave Canales. Trask remains unlikely to crack camp as a member of the 53-man roster, most likely simply providing additional depth at the position through the end of camp. The move that makes the most procedural sense would be to retain undrafted free agent Haynes King on the practice squad while Kenny Pickett serves as the primary backup to Bryce Young.

That’s exactly the news fantasy managers were hoping to see after Waddle experienced “some muscle tightness” earlier in the week, prompting his time away from practice. The veteran free agent addition worked to the side Saturday and also shed the leg sleeve he had been seen to be wearing the previous two days, running with no changes in gait. Fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief as Waddle enters the year as the top option through the air for a dangerous Broncos team.

King apparently picked up a hamstring injury during the Panthers’ Hall of Fame, comeback win over the Cardinals Thursday, a significant hindrance to his chances of making the final 53-man roster out of camp. The injury is expected to sideline King for multiple weeks, prompting the team to list him “week-to-week.” King signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent following the NFL Draft and made a strong case to push for primary backup duties after leading a game-winning touchdown drive in the two-minute drill against the Cardinals. Those hopes now are likely out the window with the injury, with Kenny Pickett almost assuredly set to enter the regular season as the primary backup behind Bryce Young. King should stick with the team on the practice squad after signing a three-year contract in the spring. The Panthers are expected to add an additional quarterback to the roster in the coming days.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since being involved in an automobile accident in July, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he plans to be on the sideline and coaching when the team faces off against the Tennessee Titans for their preseason opener. The longtime head coach had been away from the team for the first part of training camp as he dealt with lingering concussion symptoms resulting from the crash. Expect business as usual from Shanahan and the rest of the 49ers as they prepare for the 2026 season.

McVay added that he was undecided on whether presumed second-string quarterback Stetson Bennett would play in the team’s first preseason game, hinting at the potential for Simpson to see the bulk of the work against the Chiefs. The team selected Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft with a clear intent on developing him into an heir apparent under Matthew Stafford, meaning it could be another two years until he takes the field as the starting quarterback considering Stafford recently signed an extension that ties him to the Rams through the 2027 season. Either way, it appears likely that Simpson will get his first taste of play at the NFL level when the Rams face off against the Chiefs Saturday.

The special teams ace missed practice Saturday with what is calling a “hamstring issue,” with the further word on how serious the ailment is. Gifford earned his first Pro Bowl nod for his special teams play in 2025 while also starting nine games for the 49ers. Expect an update from the team in short order.

Flowers apparently avoided significant injury but will reportedly miss a “couple days” with a quadricep contusion suffered in practice Saturday. Camp injuries are beginning to flood in but it appears as if Flowers will be okay following a couple of days off. Entering his fourth season, there is real optimism that Flowers will take another step forward under a new coaching staff, although a career 15.7 percent red zone target rate could keep him from becoming a true fantasy star. For now, treat Flowers as a solid fourth round selection in fantasy drafts that carries elite spike-week potential due to his downfield role.

The news was first reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Tunsil will be evaluated and tested for injury, but Garafolo says he’s not sensing huge panic about the injury. Still, Garafolo also said he wouldn’t be surprised if Tunsil has to miss some time. Stay tuned as the tests will ultimately show the severity of Tunsil’s injury.