Logan Thomas is preparing for July 23, when he reports to training camp to join his new San Francisco 49ers teammates. Thomas signed with the team just as the offseason program was winding down with a minicamp earlier this month. While he didn't hit the practice field, he observed from the sidelines, soaking in everything.
"We like our [tight end] group and there's some competition there," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on June 4, "but having the opportunity, at this point in the season, to be able to add a veteran like Logan, with his skill set and be able to get him in here to come compete and him being ready for it, was something we were kind of pumped to pull off at this time.
"We're just gonna have him watch this week because he just got here today, and we'll give him a chance to come in into training camp and compete with those guys."
Thomas participated in Tight End University (TEU) last week, an annual summit for the position group co-founded by George Kittle. Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area caught up with Thomas at TEU and asked what makes Kittle such a dynamic player on the football field.
"It's his intensity," Thomas responded. "He brings intensity to his run-blocking, brings intensity to his pass-blocking after the catch. He's just a full, complete, dynamic tight end. And I think if you ask any tight end, everybody wants to be like that because he's the complete package."
Thomas hasn't yet caught passes from Brock Purdy but observed the young quarterback during a couple of practices. Purdy is an emerging star, and Thomas was already familiar with him before joining the team.
"He's great," Thomas shared. "He's always locked in. It's my first time out there with him, but he seems to be intense and be on his Ps and Qs, and that's what you want most out of your quarterback."
Purdy, only 24 years old, has already played a lot of football since being drafted with the last overall pick in 2022. He has been to two NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl, proving to be a great leader on the field.
"He's played a lot of football," Thomas noted. "He understands what he wants, and he understands what it's supposed to look like. So for him to assert himself in that way, that's what's going to make the team that much better."
Thomas is eager to get to training camp, saying, "I'm looking forward to just getting to know everybody, earning a spot on the team, and getting into the season and start playing some games because the last couple years for me have been up and down. But I'm excited to be a part of something that could be really big."
Regarding his role with the 49ers, an unselfish Thomas added, "I'm ready to be the support guy, and carve out a role for myself, and be the guy that they need me to be."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Thomas below.