Golden Nuggets: Cousins Watch Intensifies, At Least For This Week

Mornin’ folks, Thursday Night Football is back with another matchup that should continue the recent streak of being “actually watchable” in the Panthers-Eagles game. Turning to the 49ers, the big news yesterday was a return to practice for LB Reuben Foster and SS Eric Reid - players which should provide a major boost to a defensive unit that has been quite respectable, especially in reference to the 2016 unit.

As expected, one of the major talking points of this week’s game with the Washington Redskins is the impending(?) free agency of QB Kirk Cousins, who has been prematurely crowned the 2018 49ers QB by... well, everyone. The recent news has been Cousins’ waxing poetic on the virtue of continuity, which seems to suggest a desire to resign with his team, if possible. As the most fairweather of fairweather MSU fans, I’m both ready to celebrate the Cousins-49er era, and also pick him bone from bone if he doesn’t sign with us - although I’m unabashedly in favor of bringing him on board.

Other than that, some recent comments were made by Redskins personnel that painted the 49ers team in a light much more generous than could be expected, with some interpretations going as far as “the 49ers are just a QB away”. It’s like bulletin board material, but the exact opposite of it.

To the good stuff-

Colin Kaepernick, protest, politics | Branch, SF Gate | Almond, Mercury | Mano, Mercury | Pashelka, Mercury | Bieler, WaPo via Mercury | Associated Press via CSN Bay Area | Lynch, KNBR | Barrows, Sac Bee | Biderman, Ninerswire

Cousins watch | Branch, SF Gate | Inman, Mercury | Lynch, KNBR | Barrows, Sac Bee | Keim, ESPN | Wagoner, ESPN | Biderman, Ninerswire

Reuben Foster, Eric Reid return to practice | Pashelka, Mercury | Lynch, KNBR | Biderman, Ninerswire

How Kyle Shanahan is dealing with the losses | Maiocco, CSN Bay Area | Wagoner, ESPN

Jim Tomsula & Vernon Davis are excelling with the Redskins | Lynch, KNBR

Are the 49ers one piece away? | Lynch, KNBR

Best 49ers draft pick of the last quarter century? | Barrows, Sac Bee

On George Kittle’s successes | Wagoner, ESPN

49ers 2017 OL is avoiding the LOLine tag | Lowder, Ninerswire