San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams is "adamant" he will play in the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams despite a lack of practice time as he deals with a sprained ankle.
Williams played through the injury as the Niners booked their place in the conference title game with a dramatic 13-10 road win over the top-seeded Green Bay Packers.
He had missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday but was out on the field, albeit walking slowly, before the Niners made their departure for Los Angeles on Friday.
San Francisco claimed a sixth successive win over the Rams in the final week of the regular season, coming back from 17-0 down to prevail in overtime, to clinch a place in the playoffs.
The Niners achieved that feat without Williams, who missed that clash due to an elbow problem.
All-Pro Williams was not ruled out until the day of the game, and head coach Kyle Shanahan will give him every chance to prove his fitness for this clash with a place in Super Bowl LVI on the line.
"It's going to be like it was three weeks ago. I feel the same way as I did at the beginning of the week," Shanahan told a media conference.
"He came out for walkthrough today and Trent is adamant that he's going and he was last time too, which, I believe Trent when he says that he's going to do everything that he can to play.
"And so I'll be surprised if he doesn't, but I was surprised last time. I was also surprised he was able to finish the game versus Green Bay.
"So hopefully his mindset will be how his body reacts on Sunday. We know it'll help us a lot, but if not, we'll deal with it."
Williams' influence on the Niners' passing offense and their rushing attack cannot be overstated.
According to Stats Perform data, he ranked fourth among tackles with at least 100 one-on-one matchups in the regular season with a stunt-adjusted win pass protection win percentage of 91.81.
In double-team adjusted run-block win rate, he was second with 81.56 per cent.
Colton McKivitz, who filled in against the Rams in Week 18, would likely get the start at left tackle if Williams is unable to play.
Vikings plan to release Pro Bowl RB Cook
Dalvin Cook's run with the Minnesota Vikings appears to be over, as NFL.com reports the team intends to release the four-time Pro Bowl running back after six seasons.
The Vikings plan to make the move official on Friday while they make a last-ditch attempt to find a trade partner for Cook, who is slated to count $14.1 million against the salary cap this season. Releasing the 27-year-old will save Minnesota $9 million.
Cook should have no shortage of suitors once on the open market after putting together another productive season in 2022. The Florida State product rushed for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns while playing in all 17 regular-season games, and added 295 yards and two touchdowns on 39 receptions.
A second-round pick of Minnesota in 2017, Cook is one of two players to record 1,000 or more rushing yards in each of the last four seasons, along with Cleveland Browns standout Nick Chubb. Cook's 5,024 rushing yards since 2019 are the third most in the league behind Chubb (5,345) and Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry (6,042).
Cook's 5,993 career rushing yards are also the third most among Vikings players behind Adrian Peterson and Robert Smith, the only two other players in franchise history with four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Alexander Mattison, who served as Cook's backup in each of the last four seasons, is expected to take over as the Vikings' No. 1 back after re-signing with the team in March on a two-year, $7 million deal. Minnesota also added UAB's DeWayne McBride in the seventh round of this year's draft.
Bills sign veteran pass-rusher Leonard Floyd to one-year deal
The Buffalo Bills have upgraded their pass rush, agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network was the first to report the agreement on Monday.
Drafted with the ninth overall pick by the Chicago Bears in 2016, the 30-year-old Floyd is entering his eighth NFL season after spending the last three with the Los Angeles Rams following his first four years with the Bears.
He won a Super Bowl with the Rams two years ago while playing on the opposite side of the defense as Von Miller, who he'll be reunited with in Buffalo.
The Bills were tied for 14th in the NFL in sacks last season with 40, but their production dipped after Miller tore the ACL in his right knee in November and missed the rest of the season.
Following Miller's injury, Buffalo had two or fewer sacks in five of their final seven games.
Floyd had nine sacks while playing in all 17 games last season and has 47 1/2 sacks in his career.
Since the start of the 2020 season, his 29 sacks rank 10th in the league.
The Bills have lost in the divisional round of the playoffs each of the last two seasons, and hope the addition of Floyd will help them get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1993 season.
Buffalo opens the 2023 season with a highly anticipated Monday night showdown against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on September 11, and Miller is optimistic he'll be able to play.
Bills agree to terms with OLB Leonard Floyd on a 1-year deal. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/4NKBxj1Lcr
— NFL (@NFL) June 5, 2023
Milan 3-1 Hellas Verona: Leao double condemns visitors to Serie A relegation play-off
Milan signed off the Serie A season with a 3-1 victory as Rafael Leao's double condemned Hellas Verona to a relegation play-off with Spezia.
The Rossoneri wrapped up a frustrating campaign on a winning note at San Siro, with a late Leao brace enough to seal three points.
Milan had already secured Champions League football for another term but struggled at times against the visitors, who cancelled out Olivier Giroud's first-half penalty through Marco Faraoni's 72nd-minute strike.
Yet Leao struck in the 85th minute and again seven minutes later, leaving Verona to face a relegation decider with Spezia, who succumbed to a late 2-1 loss at Roma.
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