NFL stars under pressure: Which players have the most to prove this season?

After watching drama-filled offseasons when it came to contract negotiations the past two years with his San Francisco 49ers teammates, Brock Purdy was intent on doing his best to avoid a repeat in his situation.

The San Francisco 49ers locked up another core player with a lucrative extension, agreeing to a three-year extension with All-Pro Fred Warner that makes him the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in NFL history.

Brock Purdy agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $265 million with the San Francisco 49ers, going from the NFL’s biggest bargain to one of the league’s highest paid players.

George Kittle agreed to a four-year contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers that will make him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history.

Brock Purdy reported to the start of the offseason program for the San Francisco 49ers, while star tight end George Kittle stayed away from the start of the voluntary program.

The Pittsburgh Steelers finally have their established big-play wide receiver.

The San Francisco 49ers have given receiver Deebo Samuel permission to seek a trade, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Brock Purdy hurt his surgically repaired throwing elbow late in a loss to the Detroit Lions, the latest blow in an injury-plagued season for the San Francisco 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers star receiver Brandon Aiyuk will miss the rest of the season after tearing ligaments in his right knee.

Patrick Mahomes overcame two interceptions to deliver a few big plays with his feet and the Kansas City Chiefs remained the league’s only undefeated team after beating the San Francisco 49ers 28-18 in a Super Bowl rematch.

San Francisco All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey is listed as questionable for the season opener against the New York Jets with a sore calf and Achilles.

Brandon Aiyuk’s first choice during his lengthy contract dispute with the 49ers that featured social media outbursts, a trade request and an awkward “hold in” was to remain in San Francisco.

All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams has ended his contract holdout and reported to the San Francisco 49ers to finalize a new deal.

Brandon Aiyuk’s long contract dispute with San Francisco came to an end Thursday when he agreed on a four-year contract to stay with the 49ers.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs chasing history will be the hottest topic throughout the NFL season.

San Francisco star receiver Brandon Aiyuk wasn’t at the start of practice despite the team saying he was cleared by doctors to participate.

Kansas City receiver Kadarius Toney and Tennessee cornerback Caleb Farley, both first-round picks in the 2021 NFL draft, are among the cuts as teams trim their rosters for the regular season.

Contract disputes are playing a prominent role across the NFL this summer.

The San Francisco 49ers have no intention of granting star receiver Brandon Aiyuk his trade request and remain committed to getting a long-term extension done with one of their most important offensive players.

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers because the two sides haven’t made progress on a new deal.

The San Francisco 49ers have rewarded All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey with a contract extension after he won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award in his first full season with the team.

Mecole Hardman says he didn’t realize he’d won the Super Bowl after catching the game-ending touchdown in overtime.

The biggest reason why the Chiefs will beat the 49ers for their third Super Bowl title in four trips over the past five years is quite simple: experience.

The aggressiveness that characterized the turnaround for the Detroit Lions under coach Dan Campbell backfired at the worst possible time.

Brock Purdy threw for 267 yards and a touchdown, and the San Francisco 49ers rallied from 17 points down at halftime to beat the Detroit Lions 34-31 and reach the Super Bowl.

The four teams remaining in the NFL playoffs all have an aspect of their offense in common.

Christian McCaffrey scored his second touchdown on a 6-yard run with 1:07 to play, and the San Francisco 49ers mounted their first second-half comeback of the season to beat the Green Bay Packers 24-21 in a divisional-round playoff game.

Brock Purdy remembers the tension when he stepped on the field for the first time in the playoffs as a seventh-round rookie last season with only a handful of games of experience.

Quarterback Brock Purdy will sit out the regular-season finale after the San Francisco 49ers have already wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the NFL playoffs.

The San Francisco 49ers and their deep group of playmakers accomplished a rare feat.

Brock Purdy threw two touchdown passes and the San Francisco 49ers clinched the top seed in the NFC by beating the Washington Commanders 27-10.

If a December matchup between the top two teams in the NFL didn’t provide high enough stakes, the league MVP could be decided Monday night when the San Francisco 49ers host the Baltimore Ravens.

Brock Purdy threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns to Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers drilled the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-7.

The San Francisco 49ers got a jolt offensively when they made the bold decision in October to trade four draft picks to add Christian McCaffrey to an already deep group of playmakers.

Nasty defenses.

Jimmy Garoppolo threw four touchdown passes, including two each to Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle, and the San Francisco 49ers won their third straight game by beating the Arizona Cardinals 38-10 in Mexico City.

Christian McCaffrey ran for the go-ahead touchdown with 7:54 to play, and the San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Chargers 22-16 in their first game back from a bye week.

Christian McCaffrey became the 11th player in NFL history with a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in one game, and the San Francisco 49ers extended their regular-season mastery over the Rams to four full years with a 31-14 victory over Los Angeles.

General manager John Lynch still views his San Francisco 49ers as a Super Bowl contender despite a string of injuries, lackluster performances and a 3-3 start to the season.

The San Francisco 49ers have acquired star running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers for a haul of draft picks.

Can we finally start Tony Pollard.

Melvin Gordon scored from a yard out and Kareem Jackson recovered a fumble in the closing minutes Sunday night to secure Denver's 11-10 win over Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers.

Jimmy Garoppolo is staying in San Francisco after agreeing to a reduced contract to be the backup to Trey Lance on the 49ers.

Randy Bullock kicked a 44-yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining and the banged-up Tennessee Titans rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17.

Jimmy Garoppolo threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-23 in overtime.

Russell Wilson played his best game since returning from finger surgery by throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns and the Seattle Seahawks made a late goal line stand to beat the San Francisco 49ers 30-23.

Jimmy Garoppolo threw two touchdown passes for the third consecutive week and the San Francisco 49ers dominated Jacksonville 30-10 on Sunday for their third win in four games.

James Conner ran for two touchdowns and caught a 45-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Colt McCoy as the short-handed Arizona Cardinals beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-17.

Aaron Rodgers completed two deep passes to Davante Adams on a last-minute drive, setting up Mason Crosby’s 51-yard field goal on the final play of the game that gave the Green Bay Packers a 30-28 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Trey Lance threw two touchdown passes and continued to make his case to be San Francisco’s Week 1 starter as the 49ers rallied for a 15-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Newman is hardly alone among the players trying to shake off the rust after long layoffs leading up to Saturday's Senior Bowl for senior NFL prospects. A number of the Senior Bowl players had shortened seasons or none at all because of the coronavirus pandemic. “No regrets of not playing this season,” Newman said. But I think he’s done a really good job.”There are number of players at the Senior Bowl returning after a long absences from the field. Darby trained in Las Vegas for the Senior Bowl and the now-canceled combine.

Young and Jefferson made the Pro Bowl, and surely more rookies would have joined them as alternates at the league’s now-canceled all-star game. “It’s crazy unusual for a rookie, I think, to have the type of leadership that Chase has, genuine leadership,” Washington quarterback Alex Smith said. “I think a lot of young guys, especially high picks, I think you feel pressure to do it some way or somehow. “Talk about a rookie coming in, starting every game and just being focused,” Browns Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio said of Wills. “We’re growing and we’re starting to get a hang of the game,” said Dolphins right tackle Robert Hunt, a second-round pick and one of six Miami rookies starting on offense.

Rookies Chase Young and Kamren Curl scored defensive touchdowns as Washington grabbed sole possession of first place in the division after a gritty 23-15 win over the San Francisco 49ers. He missed the second half with soreness in his surgically repaired right leg. “We were not clean today offensively,” San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. Dwayne Haskins, the 15th overall pick in the 2019 draft, replaced Smith in the second half. San Francisco: travels to the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday.

The Bills are one game ahead of the Miami Dolphins with four games left for both teams. San Francisco (5-7) lost in its first game at its adopted home in Arizona. “As long as it correlates to team success, it means we’re doing the right thing, making the right decisions and we’re winning football games," Allen said. But San Francisco got the ball back one play later on a fumble by Allen and the 49ers took advantage. The town is about a 3-hour drive from San Francisco, and Allen went to games as a kid with his family.

“When I came out in the second half and started throwing the ball (to warm up), it became really apparent that I wasn't going to be effective,” Brees said. Brees said he didn't expect the injury to be “a long-term thing," but added, ”it's just a matter of how long it's going to be. “We couldn’t get anything going in the second half and didn’t get much out of our running game," coach Kyle Shannahan said. Tight end Josh Hill also left the game with a concussion in the second half. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore left with an oblique injury, but could be seen standing on the sideline without his helmet in the second half, urging on teammates and even dancing at times.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, bottom left, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrate after connecting on a touchdown pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Aaron Rodgers took advantage of the undermanned San Francisco 49ers rather than sympathizing with the team that dominated his Green Bay Packers twice last season. Rodgers threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns and the Packers overwhelmed the depleted 49ers 34-17 on Thursday night. DEPLETED ROSTERThe run of injuries and coronavirus rules left the 49ers with a shell of a roster, especially on offense. 49ers: CB K’Waun Williams (ankle) and S Jaquiski Tartt (toe) left the game and didn’t return.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The NFL and the union are investigating the San Francisco 49ers and receiver Kendrick Bourne for possible violations of the league’s coronavirus protocols. A person familiar with the investigation says the probe is looking into whether Bourne was wearing a face covering as required by the COVID-19 rules. Bourne was placed on the COVID-19 list on Wednesday after testing positive for the coronavirus. The Packers also have their own coronavirus issues after running back AJ Dillon tested positive and was placed on the COVID-19 list Monday. Running back Jamaal Williams and linebacker Kamal Martin were also placed on the list because of high-risk close contacts.

The team said the positive test came back Wednesday morning and Bourne immediately went into self-quarantine after getting the diagnosis. The positive test came just days after the 49ers played at Seattle. All we can do right now is test and be aware of the connections.”This is the first positive coronavirus test for the 49ers since the start of the regular season. The Packers are dealing with their own issues with the coronavirus after running back AJ Dillon tested positive on Monday. Running back Jamaal Williams and linebacker Kamal Martin were placed on the COVID-19 list on Tuesday as “high-risk” contacts to Dillon.

– Jeff Wilson Jr. rushed for a career-high three touchdowns and 112 yards before leaving with an ankle injury and the San Francisco 49ers dominated in a 33-6 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. San Francisco (4-3) has followed back-to-back losses with two wins and is 3-0 on the road. New England fell to 2-4 for the first since coach Belichick’s first season in 2000, when the Patriots went 5-11. Following a Patriots punt, San Francisco was pinned inside its 15. The lead grew to 23-3 with just under a minute to go before halftime on a 16-yard run by Wilson.

Garoppolo threw three TD passes in the first half and Jason Verrett’s first interception in more than four years helped preserve the lead, giving the 49ers a 24-16 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. San Francisco’s defense stepped up with some key stops in the second half. Verrett's interception was part of a rough day overall for Jared Goff, who also missed an open Kupp on a deep ball earlier in the second half. Garoppolo found Kittle on a one-on-one matchup with Darious Williams on a fourth-and-2 play that turned into a 44-yard TD. INJURY REPORT49ers: RB Raheem Mostert (ankle) S Jaquiski Tartt (groin) and C Ben Garland (calf) all left in the second half and didn't return.

(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Carson Wentz hit Travis Fulgham on a 42-yard touchdown pass with 5:50 remaining to lift the Philadelphia Eagles to their first win of the season, 25-20 over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. TAKE IT AWAYThe Eagles got their first defensive takeaway of the season thanks to a poor decision by Mullens. With the Niners in the red zone, Mullens threw a ball up for grabs while under pressure and Rodney McLeod came up with it. INJURY REPORTEagles: RT Lane Johnson left the game in the first half with an ankle injury but later returned. 49ers: DL Ezekiel Ansah left the game in the first half with an arm injury and didn’t return.

Still, short-handed San Francisco had enough to beat the inept New York Jets. Defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas were both carted off the field two plays apart with left knee injuries in the first quarter. Two plays later, Thomas was carted off — also with a left knee injury — after an 8-yard reception by Chris Hogan. San Francisco ended the 14-play possession with an 18-yard catch by Jordan Reed for the first of his two TD grabs. ... San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a first-round draft pick, had two catches for 21 yards in his NFL debut.

I think theres a lot of teams in the league right now that are dealing with all kinds of injuries.He's right. Teams all over the league were sent scrambling during camp. Certainly not during training camp when players are going hard to make the roster as the start of the regular season rolls closer. It's the soft tissue injuries and those things that you are trying to prevent with the ramp-up period," Bitonio said. That will certainly be something to monitor as the regular season begins and teams deal with injuries and potential replacements.