Josh Morgan says he hasn't asked Mike Singletary for much this season. So when he visited the coach in his office Monday Singletary could hardly refuse his simple request that Isaac Bruce, not Morgan, start Sunday's finale in St. Louis. "He's everything coach Singletary wants us to be," Morgan said. Singletary, who last week said that Bruce would be shut down for the season, today said there was a "strong possibility" Bruce would play in what might be his final NFL game.
Bruce, meanwhile, had mixed feelings about playing. He has been inactive for the last five weeks partially because of an ankle injury but more to make room in the lineup for youngsters like Morgan, Michael Crabtree, Jason Hill and Brandon Jones. He admitted to being "a little shocked" and said the young receivers' progress "shouldn't be interrupted, even by me." But he admitted to looking forward to a return to St. Louis, the town in which he spent 13 of his 16 seasons. Bruce said he has yet to decide on retirement but that an announcement could be coming soon.
Bruce has been a father figure to Morgan and the rest of the receivers and he said he thought that the tandem of Crabtree and Morgan could even be better than the partnership he shared with Torry Holt in St. Louis. Morgan, meanwhile, said that Bruce shouldn't worry about hindering his development. "It's bigger than that," Morgan said. "You've got a hall-of-fame guy (in Bruce) who's played 16 years."
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Wednesday was the media's turn to give out its annual award, the Garry Niver Award, which is given to the player who works best with the media throughout the course of the season. Vernon Davis and Shawntae Spencer both were discussed and were deserving of the honor. In the end, however, we went with an idea from the Merc's Dan Brown - to allow the two quarterbacks who have shared the starting role this season to share the honor. And so, for the first time ever, two players will share the Niver for 2009, Shaun Hill and Alex Smith. Congratulations.
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Singletary said that both Joe Staley (knee) and Chilo Rachal (knee) would be day-to-day this week. Rachal, who had an MRI Monday, missed only one play in Sunday's win over the Lions. "I'll be fine," he said. Singletary has ruled out Nate Clements (shoulder) and Joe Nedney (hamstring) from the game.
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I caught up with rookie linebacker Diyral Briggs today. Briggs has been active for four games this season but the 49ers see enough potential in him to keep him off the practice squad where he could be snatched up by another team. Gaining weight has been one of Briggs' season priorities. He said that at the end of his senior season at Bowling Green he weighed only 227 pounds. He's now up to 243 pounds. Briggs said he was hoping to reach 255 pounds before offseason camps begin so that he'd be down to his ideal playing weight, 250 pounds, at the start of the season.
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Top Chef: Santa Clara? The media were given a tour -- and a taste -- of the 49ers new cafeteria today. The facility is spacious -- 3200 sq ft., seating 143 people -- and gives the team greater control of what the players and staff are eating.
-- Matt Barrows
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