49ers training camp: News and notes from Friday’s practice

The San Francisco 49ers held their eighth training camp practice, once again with fans in attendance.

Below are some tidbits from the 10:25 a.m. PT Friday session at the SAP Performance Facility, compiled from various sources.

Noteworthy non-participants

• WR Brandon Aiyuk
• OL Aaron Banks (back)
• DE Nick Bosa (rest)
• OL Spencer Burford (hand)
• WR Jacob Cowing (hamstring)
• RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring)
• WR Jauan Jennings (ankle)
• OL Jarrett Kingston
• WR Tay Martin (hamstring)
• RB Christian McCaffrey (rest)
• LB Curtis Robinson
• TE Logan Thomas (hamstring)

Aiyuk continues his hold-in and is not participating in practices. While he is usually seen on the sidelines, he was notably absent during the Friday session.

Unavailable players

• LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles)
• S Talanoa Hufanga (knee)
• DE Drake Jackson (knee)

• T Trent Williams

Kickoff return first impressions

On Thursday night, the NFL held its first preseason game of the 2024 season, giving fans and coaches a chance to see the new kickoff return rules in action. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was paying attention.

"It looked kind of messy," Shanahan told reporters. "So I'll wait to see it on the coaches film to maybe see if we can figure some stuff out, but we're all trying to learn and that was the first time everyone got to see it. I think I saw three of eight, so it was messy. But I'm sure they will be throughout the preseason. We'll get as much info as we can on it and adjust as a year goes."

Quick notes

Mike Shanahan was at practice, observing the on-field work alongside general manager John Lynch.

With offensive lineman Aaron Banks not practicing, Ben Bartch and Nick Zakelj continued to alternate at left guard during practice.

Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano returned to practice after dealing with a knee issue, working with the second-team offense in team drills. Wide receiver Danny Gray also made his return to the practice field.

Rookie Dominick Puni has received a lot of reps with the first-team offense due to injuries throughout the offensive line.

"It's been cool watching him out there because he's gotten that opportunity, and you can tell it's not too big for him," Shanahan said of Puni. "He has to work through a lot of stuff. It's a totally different game and going against a totally different type of defensive lineman, but you can tell he is made of the right stuff and he's got what it takes and hopefully he'll continue to progress."

Nick Wagoner of ESPN observed that Friday's session was a solid one for the offense, noting, "Probably the best pass protection they've had in a practice, save for the second rotation of reps for the first team offense. Still, it seemed when QBs weren't getting the ball out quick, it was more of a struggle for pass catchers to create separation than it was protection."

Wagoner reports that running backs Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, and Cody Schrader had some big runs early in practice, with good blocks coming from offensive linemen Bartch and Colton McKivitz, along with tight end Eric Saubert.

Matt Barrows of The Athletic reported that quarterback Brock Purdy completed five of his eight pass attempts, while Josh Dobbs went 6-of-7. Brandon Allen completed all eight of his pass attempts during team drills, including an impressive throw to a diving wide receiver Trent Taylor along the sideline.

Purdy connected with wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Chris Conley, and hit tight end George Kittle three times. However, the quarterback missed Samuel on his only deep throw of the day. Key stat: For the second consecutive practice, no interceptions for Purdy.

RELATED Ricky Pearsall making a positive early impression on 49ers

Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall didn't record a catch during practice but earned praise for his contributions as a blocker.

"It's been cool watching him in the run game," Shanahan said. "He definitely understands our standard. It's not someone we have to call in and be like, 'We need more.' He gets it. He's doing everything he can and just [needs to] continue to get more reps."

Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that the only turnover of the day occurred during an exchange between Purdy and Mason. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave recovered the loose ball and returned it for a score.

Cornerback Isaac Yiadom added, "Every single opportunity I get, I want to work against him. I think he's making me better. I think him going against me is making him better, too. So I'm a big fan of him."

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos combined for a would-be sack of Purdy. On another play, Gross-Matos pursued Purdy, forcing a throw-away.

According to Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group, cornerback Ambry Thomas broke up a deep pass from Josh Dobbs intended for wide receiver Danny Gray.

This week, second-year safety Ji'Ayir Brown expressed confidence in the 49ers' secondary, stating, "We can be great. I think we can be one of the best secondaries to come through here, honestly."

Second-year linebacker Jalen Graham continues to shine, making a big stop on Schrader after blasting past tight end Mason Pline. Linebacker Tatum Bethune forced a fumble by tight end Cameron Latu, which was recovered and returned for a touchdown by cornerback Chase Lucas.

Kicker Jake Moody had missed only one field goal attempt during training camp, but he missed two during Friday's practice. He made kicks from 38 and 43 yards but missed attempts from 46 and 53 yards.

Injury updates

Shanahan provided the following injury updates:

• OL Spencer Burford will not require surgery for his broken hand
• OL Pat Elflein suffered a calf injury in his first practice with the team
• OL Aaron Banks is dealing with back spasms
• TE Logan Thomas is dealing with a hamstring injury
• WR Jauan Jennings is dealing with an ankle injury but should return soon

Next practice

Saturday, August 3 at 10:25 a.m. PT
SAP Performance Facility, Santa Clara, CA

Videos

None of the following videos are from team drills, as the media must stop recording once team drills begin.