49ers clear that `this is Trey's team'

Jimmy Garoppolo reported to training camp for the San Francisco 49ers after spending the offseason away rehabilitating his injured shoulder.

But the message from coach Kyle Shanahan about Garoppolo's future and the future of the 49ers was clear: “This is Trey's team.”

Shanahan started camp Tuesday by removing any pretense of a quarterback competition in San Francisco by unequivocally stating what had seemed obvious all offseason, that Trey Lance will take over as starter a year after being drafted third overall.

“That's nothing against Jimmy,” Shanahan said. “We made that decision a year ago and we're not going to mess around with that anymore. ... Jimmy understands that fully. He's a big guy and it's nothing against him. It's a business decision.”

The process of transitioning from Garoppolo to Lance as starter in San Francisco started last offseason when the Niners traded three first-round picks to move up to take Lance third overall.

But after having only limited college experience at lower-level North Dakota State, the 49ers were in no rush to turn the team over to Lance, believing that a healthy Garoppolo gave them the best chance to compete.

That mostly proved correct as San Francisco made it to the NFC title game with Garoppolo at quarterback before losing to the eventual champion Rams.

Lance played only sparingly, making two starts when Garoppolo got injured, but showed enough in practice and the offseason for Shanahan to be confident in his ability to run a team that has championship aspirations.

“When you deal with a guy that has ability and stuff and all eyes are on him and the pressure is on him, not just with you guys but teammates, that's what you want to see, him getting better as he gets opportunities,” Shanahan said. “If he gets better as he gets opportunities, then you're a lot more encouraged to give him a lot more opportunities.”

The Niners would have already moved on from Garoppolo if he had been healthy this offseason. But he needed shoulder surgery, complicating efforts to trade him.

Garoppolo stayed in Southern California for the offseason program but has been cleared to practice, eliminating a $7.5 million injury guarantee on his $24.2 million contract for 2022.

Whether the Niners can find a trade partner remains to be seen and they might end up releasing him to save that money on the cap. Shanahan said Garoppolo won't take part in team drills and will work on the side building up strength in his shoulder.

• The Seahawks released running back Chris Carson with a failed physical designation, potentially signaling an end to his career because of a neck injury.

Carson's future was in doubt the entire offseason after he was injured in Week 4 last year and eventually underwent neck surgery. Seattle coach Pete Carroll cautioned that Carson may not be able to return and Tuesday's move finalized the situation.

• The Packers agreed to contract extensions with coach Matt LaFleur, general manager Brian Gutekunst and executive vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball, a person familiar with the deals told The Associated Press.

The Packers have posted a 39-10 regular-season record in LaFleur's three seasons as coach while winning the NFC North in each of those years.

• Danny Amendola, who earned two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots and became one of Tom Brady's favorite playmakers during his five seasons in New England, is retiring.

The veteran 36-year-old receiver posted a video on social media that featured highlights of his 13 NFL seasons with only one line: “Wouldn't have it any other way.”

The former Texas Tech standout made his NFL debut with the St. Louis Rams in 2009 and spent his first four seasons there before being signed by the Patriots in 2013.

• The New Orleans Saints signed veteran NFL running back Malcolm Brown on the eve of their first training camp practice.

The signing of Brown adds depth behind top running back Alvin Kamara, who could face a multi-game suspension because of his arrest in

Las Vegas that stemmed from a fight that resulted in an injury during the most recent Pro Bowl weekend.

The 5-foot-11, 225-pound Brown has played six seasons for the Rams and spent last season with Miami. He has averaged 4 yards per carry for his career and has 12 touchdowns rushing to go with 46 receptions for 337 yards and one TD.

9-11 survivors' group `appalled' by LIV Golf event

A 9-11 survivors' group has said it is “appalled” by the “offensive, disrespectful and hurtful” Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour as it prepares its competition about 50 miles from the site of the deadly terror attack.

Speaking at a press conference near Bedminster, New Jersey, Terry Strada, chair of 9-11 Families United, a coalition of families and survivors of the 2001 terror attacks, said that playing such a tournament so close to the venue of the worst terrorist attack in American history is wrong.

The competition, the third in the series, will be played at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster beginning Friday.

Sharks name ex-Rangers boss Quinn as new coach

The San Jose Sharks hired former New York Rangers coach David Quinn as their new head coach.

The Sharks announced that Quinn would replace the fired Bob Boughner as the Sharks overhaul their management and coaching team.

“His previous NHL head coaching experience is valuable to us and he implements a system that will fit with our philosophy of being a hard team to play against,” general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “We are extremely happy to have him a part of this organization.”

The 55-year-old Quinn coached the Rangers for three seasons from 2018-21, posting a 96-87-25 record. New York never made it as far as the conference quarterfinals in Quinn's three seasons, missing the playoffs in 2019 and `21 and losing in the qualifying round in the COVID-19 bubble in 2020.

Quinn had previously been head coach for five seasons in college at Boston University. He also coached the U.S. Olympic team to a fifthplace finish in Beijing last February.

• A jury found former Canucks forward Jake Virtanen not guilty of sexual assault after a week of salacious testimony.

Virtanen, 25, wept openly when the verdict was read in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He clutched his head in his hands and was comforted by his lawyers while several friends and family seated in the front row of the courtroom whispered “yes!”

• The Devils signed defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler to a five-year, $17 million contract extension starting next season.

Siegenthaler, 25, set career highs last season in games played (70), assists (13), points (14), shots (92), and in all-time, on-ice metrics. He led all New Jersey defensemen in hits, ranked second on the team in blocked shots, and was third in short-handed time on ice/time on ice.

NASCAR hands out more penalties, hits McDowell

NASCAR levied another round of massive penalties, this time against Michael McDowell and Front Row Motorsports, for illegal modifications discovered after McDowell's sixth-place finish at Pocono Raceway.

NASCAR fined crew chief Blake Harris $100,000 and suspended him for four races. McDowell was docked 100 driver points and Front Row docked 100 owner points.

If the No. 34 team wins one of the five remaining regular-season races to qualify for the playoffs, McDowell will be docked 10 playoff points.

The L2-level penalty was issued for an illegal modification of a single source supplied part — which is strictly prohibited on NASCAR's new Next Gen car.

The penalties on Front Row come after NASCAR disqualified Pocono winner Denny Hamlin and runnerup Kyle Busch when their Toyotas failed post-race inspection at Pocono.