SANTA CLARA – Things are getting more and more exciting for the 49ers during training camp, which has otherwise been rather leisurely.
After participating in their 17th practice of training camp on Friday, the 49ers will conduct their typical pre-game run-through on Saturday.
The 49ers face the New Orleans Saints at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, then have a short break to close out the preseason with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday, August 23rd.
Here are the findings from Friday’s training:
Purdy’s day with ups and downs
We don’t get carried away by training camp statistics and the excuse is always that quarterbacks are trying to push themselves to the limit in practice.
Brock Purdy said he put a lot of emphasis on driving the ball down the field on Friday, but he made several throws that seemed ill-advised regardless of the situation.
He also had a few funny moments, including a play he described during his post-practice press conference. Purdy talked about a play called the “Pur-Dog,” where he caught a pass downfield.
Purdy had a day on Thursday where the ball barely touched the ground at practice. Things didn’t go so well that day, starting with Ji’Ayir Brown’s breakup of a throw intended for Deebo Samuel.
He had a couple of plays that were uncharacteristic of Purdy. On one play, he was under pressure and backed off, throwing a pass toward the right sideline into coverage that was intercepted rather than completed.
Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir intercepted a ball while in coverage against Samuel.
Later, Purdy made his best throw of the day when he threw a beautiful long pass to Jauan Jennings against the coverage of Lenoir and safety George Odum.
Cowing makes some moves
Wide receiver Jacob Cowing, a 2024 fourth-round draft pick, was limited by a hamstring injury at the start of training camp, but he had his best day of the summer on Friday, catching a couple of passes.
His best play was when he ran a deep corner route and caught a pass from Josh Dobbs against the zone coverage of linebacker Curtis Robinson and defensive backs Rock Ya-Sin, Tayler Hawkins and Jaylen Mahoney.
“He’s done a good job,” Shanahan said of Cowing. “He’s been behind because of some injuries, so this was his first full week with no setbacks. It’s always tough at the beginning, but he’s been improving every day. Hopefully he gets a lot of playing time in the game and comes through, gets that experience and continues to get days.”
Cowings’ speed (4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and the position the 49ers selected him for suggest he’s guaranteed a spot on the roster, along with Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk (assuming he stays with the team), Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. The 49ers could keep an additional receiver or two on the 53-man roster.
McCaffrey intensifies rehab
Shanahan expects some of the team’s regular players to play in limited action during the 49ers’ preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
Of course, running back Christian McCaffrey is not on that list, as he is still recovering from a minor left calf injury. McCaffrey has been out of action for 10 days and will not play in any of the team’s three preseason games.
McCaffrey, on the other hand, gets a lot of work with physical therapy, running and pass catching on a side field.
Meanwhile, the 49ers were shorthanded at the running back position, with McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and rookie Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) missing most of training camp.
Jordan Mason may see little time in the remainder of the preseason, while Matt Breida and Cody Schrader, as well as Patrick Taylor Jr. and Ke’Shawn Vaughn, will see plenty of action.
Rotating attack line
Right tackle Colton McKivitz is the only projected starter on the offensive line who has not missed time due to injuries (or strikes).
Most recently, left guard Aaron Banks was also sidelined after being injured on Thursday and underwent surgery on a broken little finger on Friday morning, coach Kyle Shanahan said.
Nick Zakelj, who started at center in the 49ers’ season opener, was used at left guard in Friday’s practice. Zakelj is putting himself in a position to secure a backup position at center and guard. Ben Bartch, who had to sit out practice because of knee irritation, is also in the running for a backup position.
“I think Zakelj probably plays a little better,” said 49ers offensive line coach Chris Foerster. “Center is a better fit for him and guard is probably a better fit for Bartch.”
Rookie Dominick Puni is making the most of his extra training time as right guard, as Jon Feliciano (knee) and Spencer Burford (hand) had to miss almost the entire camp due to injuries.
Pesall is working again
There are still 24 days until the start of the 49ers’ regular season, giving rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall plenty of time to prepare after his shoulder injury on August 6.
When asked if he thought Pearsall would be on the field when the 49ers open the season, Shanahan replied, “I hope so. We’ll see when he comes back and where he is.”
While his teammates practiced offense versus defense, Pearsall completed a tough workout on an adjacent field, running the entire length of routes and catching a series of passes from one goal line to the next.
“We have one more week of camp and then two more weeks,” Shanahan said. “That’s plenty of time. He can run and do all those things and pass the walk-through test.”
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