On Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers held their first of three full practices this week at their temporary home at UNLV. A lot has been said about the unsatisfactory field conditions, and head coach Kyle Shanahan sounded unhappy with the situation while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
The 49ers don't plan to seek alternatives and will deal with what the NFL has handed them. As the designated Super Bowl 58 road team, they are practicing at UNLV. Meanwhile, the designated home-team Kansas City Chiefs are practicing at the Las Vegas Raiders' facilities in Henderson, Nevada.
The 49ers could have requested to practice at the same location as the Chiefs. However, that would have required some significant schedule shuffling.
"We're not going to change the whole schedule," Shanahan told reporters. "We'd have to go too early in the morning and mess everything up, so this is the best choice we've got."
When asked if he was satisfied with the choice, Shanahan remarked, "We're here, we're practicing on it. I mean, everyone has their preferences. I wish things were better, but we'll deal with it how it is."
Quarterback Brock Purdy noted that the on-field work on Wednesday was not at full speed. Thursdays are typically the 49ers' more vigorous session of the week.
On Monday, it was reported that the 49ers felt the fields were "a bit soft for their liking." However, the NFL has stated that the surfaces have been deemed "playable."
Injury Updates
Tight end George Kittle and defensive tackle Arik Armstead did not practice last week in Santa Clara. Both players were on the practice field for Wednesday's session but were limited participants.
Shanahan expressed hope that Kittle and Armstead would fully participate during Thursday's practice.