Golden Nuggets: No better squishy for Nick Bosa than a playoff squishy

How Bosa family coined adorably comical nickname for sacks

“I don’t know why, but in our house, this is like insider information, but we call sacks ‘squishies,’ “ Cheryl [Bosa] revealed on the “Your Mom” podcast with Ashley Adamson and Lisa McCaffrey, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey’s mother. “I don’t know if you remember in ‘Finding Nemo,’ Squishy was the little octopus....We are texting octopuses to each other all the time...It’s really weird, but that’s what we do. That’s an inside scoop right there.”

Thompson: The rise of Brock Purdy: How the 49ers’ unlikely leader was ready for the job (paywall)

“His older sister, Whittney, played a part, too. Before she played softball at Southeastern, she’d frustrate Brock with her strong arm. Brock could outthrow their younger brother, Chubba. But he couldn’t throw it farther than Whittney because “she could launch it.” She was much too kind and sweet a big sister to rub it in his face. But she didn’t need to for him to burn up at the futility of his preadolescent arm.”

Hutchinson: The obvious and under-the-radar moves that helped 49ers turn early mess into playoff season

“His locker is next to Trent Williams, and when you enter that locker room, depending on the day, you’ll frequently see Hyder breaking down film or discussing the nuance of pass rushing with Williams. After games, Hyder, Williams and Nick Bosa have a meeting of the minds. They sit together by Williams and Hyder’s lockers and discuss the intricacies of the game, breaking down individual plays, what went wrong or right and why....Drake Jackson told KNBR that he’s leaned on Hyder for mentorship more than any other player this season. He said he has anxiety, and it flared up the transition to the NFL. He’s leaned on Hyder over the course of the season for advice that’s helped him calm himself and build professional habits.”

Kawakami: John Lynch on Adam Peters, the most surprising thing about Brock Purdy and the 49ers’ stability (paywall)

“The one thing I will say, the athleticism, putting him in a game, that has surprised us. But from Day 1, he was functioning at a high level out here. OTAs, all that. Everybody’s looking at each other, “Wow, this guy’s got some courage.” He threw into small windows, he was efficient. He’s performed from the start, but you never know until you throw him in there. Same can be said now we’re going to playoff football. How’s he going to respond? But he’s checked every box thus far, so I wouldn’t anticipate seeing anything different.”

Lombardi: 49ers are confident Brock Purdy can hold steady in playoff debut against Seattle (paywall)

“Very business-like in everything he does,” Shanahan said. “He thinks about whether he wants to go out to dinner and how much inflammation that’ll cause to walk there and how that’ll affect his explosion on clip 62 in the game. That guy obsesses over every little detail and that’s why he’s as prepared as anyone I’ve been around. And to me, I’ve said it a lot, I feel like he’s been preparing for what his job in life is to do since he was 3 years old, so it’s a combination of all those things that makes him one of the best.”

49ers-Seahawks Status Reports: Pair of key players return

“Strong safety Ryan Neal (knee), who missed the final three games of the season, is off the injury report and will play Saturday. Pete Carroll also offered optimism that both Shelby Harris and DeeJay Dallas would play....The most substantial news came more than a week ago for Seattle, as star middle linebacker Jordyn Brooks — sixth in the NFL with 161 combined tackles — was placed on injured reserve with an ACL injury...For the 49ers, only cornerback Ambry Thomas, who re-aggravated an ankle injury, and Jimmy Garoppolo, recovering from foot surgery, are out....Both left guard Aaron Banks (knee, ankle) and Dre Greenlaw (back) “looked good” yesterday.”

John Lynch breaks down scouting process that led 49ers to Brock Purdy

“Lynch credited one man in particular for stumping for Purdy: Steve Slowik, the brother of Bobby Slowik, the team’s passing game coordinator. Lynch also recalled playing for their father, Bob Slowik, a member of Mike Shanahan’s coaching staff in Denver....Steve Slowik is currently a pro scout, assessing other teams in the league, but was previously an area scout responsible for the area including Purdy’s school, Iowa State.”

Greg Cosell: Former NFL coach says Brock Purdy reminds him of Joe Montana

“The thing about Purdy, he’s obviously been incredibly poised and composed in the way which he plays,” Cosell said. “The ball comes out. He knows where to go with the football. He’s been really effective vs. pressure, I think that’s a really important point. He does not play fast or overreact to pressure. He knows where to go with the ball....Pressure, normally people consider it and it’s easier for the benefit of a conversation to say five-man rushes or more, that’s pressure. He’s been really good. He’s had 27 completions vs. five-man pressure and 18 of those 27 have resulted in first downs. So, that’s what you want. You want to be able to get first downs. Keep one thing in mind.”