San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak spoke with reporters before Monday's (Tuesday in Melbourne) practice at AAMI Park as the team prepares for its Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
Quarterback Brock Purdy spoke to reporters after the practice, which was the second of the week.
Here's everything they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris
To speak on the birthday, did the team make it up to you? Did you care that you missed your birthday?
"No, I didn't. I've been missing birthdays for years. Football comes with that, especially when you're a Virgo and you get into this business. You probably haven't had a birthday either. We're always doing something, whether we're getting ready for the first game, no matter what's been going on for the last 20 or so years. Obviously, you guys know I'm old because [ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter] Schefty told everybody I'm 50. What a jerk he is, but it is what it is (laughter)."
You won't be game planning for Los Angeles Rams DL Aaron Donald, but on a personal level, what's it like to see him come out of retirement?
"Aaron's like one of the all-time favorite people. If you spent any time around him, like I know you guys have, you know [ESPN reporter] Sarah [Barshop], one of the best people in the world. One of the best football people that you can ever be around. Really special. I wish he'd just stay retired, at least until next week, but you know how I feel about Aaron. We've done some special things together. We've been around each other a lot. I feel great about him other than when we've got to play. I'm not sure which day that is, I just know we going to play him out here."
Did it surprise you?
"No. I mean, he always stays ready. I used to joke with him and always tell him he's going to get fat when he retired and he always told me there's no chance. And he's right, he's going to stay in shape, stay ready to go. Obviously the Rams provided an opportunity for him to come back and he made his mind up. After the second or third workout that you guys reported, I figured he was coming back."
You mentioned a few times with Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay's offense and that 13 personnel stuff from last year that he's always trying to be ahead of the curve so that may not even be something. Working with head coach Kyle Shanahan and having him as a sounding board, have you picked Kyle's brain on what might be the next evolution in this? Is that the kind of conversation you have?
"I think that's something that you have with both of these guys. Kyle and Sean are always looking for an edge. A couple of years ago, Sean created the edge with the jet sweep and got his run game going. Years before that, Kyle's been doing it with the 21 personnel and people have kind of evolved and been doing some 21 personnel. Sean went to the 13. So, these guys are always trying to stay ahead. No matter what's going on, when you're in practice and you're preparing and you're planning for this journey called the season, they're always going to give you the best of the best. They're going to give you the best opportunities to go out there and learn and grow every single day, whether they say it or not. If you pay attention, you'll get it. Usually the trend kind of happened with these two guys and they have for a little while. Obviously, there's other really great coordinators in this league when you talk about [Denver Broncos head coach] Sean Payton and some of these other guys, but these are two of the best to do it and that's doing it right now."
For the Melbourne fans who are coming to watch, what can we expect to see from the San Fran defense? What are we looking to do?
"I don't think it's just the San Fran defense. We're the ultimate team, and I think you've got two really good opponents that's been going together for years. I've been on both sides of the spectrum now. And it is going to be fun. It's going to be fun for you guys to watch. A very physical, well-fought battle by both teams. And I think it'll be enjoyable for the Aussie fans. They get a chance to watch physical play. They get a chance to watch great players on both sides of the ball, future Hall of Famers. I couldn't think of a better game to watch if I was in Melbourne, an Aussie."
How far along is DL Romello Height after missing so much time?
"He came out yesterday and did a nice job of practicing. You guys got a chance to see him. He's done an amazing thing. I think he missed maybe 10 days. That probably was about five or six practices, whatever the case may be. Feeling really good where he was going, his growth, his development, but at the same time when you prepare for rookies, you prepare for those guys to be able to be in the lineup, be out of the lineup, what it's like to play in the National Football League. We all know and we expect these guys to know from having the experience in college, but it's different. These are grown men doing grown men things and we'll ease them into this thing and get them ready to go."
What's your confidence level with DL Nick Bosa being able to play on Friday?
"Nick Bosa is really easy. You watch this guy do it over a span, a long time in his career, been able to do it at different levels. A different question than what we just talked about with Romello where we haven't seen him do it yet. Bosa knows his body as well as anybody. He'll be prepared and ready to go as well as anybody, whether it's from a conversation in point, from meetings, from a conversation in point from what he needs to get ready for his body. Very high confidence level in where he's going to be."
As far as that fourth defensive end spot, you seem to have some options with DL Ogbo Okoronkwo on the practice squad and DL Khalid Kareem just joining the team. Are you watching them this week to see which guy you'll elevate?
"Well, fortunately, two guys that I have a lot of experience with, right? Kareem last year, the last couple of years in Atlanta, and then obviously Ogbo with L.A. Being able to watch those two guys go out there and compete this week and be at a high level, it's going to be fun. Two guys that I've got a lot of confidence in. Two guys that I was fortunate enough to be able to have some say to be able to get here and try to help us. This personnel department does a great job of identifying people that we need when these things happen, so we're fired up."
Just to clarify, do you anticipate Nick being out there when you guys play Friday morning?
"Oh, Nick Bosa? Oh, [ESPN reporter] Lindsey [Thiry], he's going out there. Whatever you want to say, he's going. He'll be there. We're not hiding that."
How well do you feel you've adjusted now that you've been here for a few days? Do you think that could play to your favor a little bit, the plans on coming a little earlier
"I don't think I'm trying to adjust. The game's at 10. I think I'm trying to wake up and do what you normally do. My days are a little bit longer out here, being in Aussie. Have the ability to wake up, go through the day, have enough energy to be able to get through practice, and then when I get tired, we'll be getting back on a plane. I think it's been a great place to be. I think how they've taken care of us out here, whether it's been the food that they're feeding us, the beautiful hotel that we're staying in, the convenience of everybody around our building, around our facilities. I can't say enough positive things about the experience."
How did you celebrate your 50th? Did you get out to a restaurant or a bar or anywhere?
"I'll let you know on the plane when we're taking off (laughter). We did though. We got a chance to get out and see your city. The guys got me some cheesecake. Got a chance to have our first day here and really enjoy that with the coaching staff and a couple of the guys that were there."
Where is CB Renardo Green in his recovery and getting back out there?
"Renardo will be out there in practice today. We'll definitely see where he's at. Obviously, we've seen Bosa before we left. We got a chance to see him a little bit throughout the process. We'll see more of him today, but Renardo's kind of, I don't want to say a step behind, but he's right there in that mix. We'll get a chance to see him, watch him practice and do some different things as well."
Same question for S Malik Mustapha.
"Malik's been out there the last couple of weeks practicing. I shouldn't say weeks, last couple of days. It feels like weeks. Last couple of days practicing. Obviously, those things will play out as we go and then we've still got practice today, practice tomorrow and Friday, and we've got a Saturday walk-through. So, these guys got a bunch of time to get there."
Defensively, what do you feel like you guys need to do to take your team to the next level? Offensively, you've recruited pretty well this offseason. What do you feel like you guys need to do to make sure you're there at the Rams home ground in the Super Bowl?
"You know, that's way too soon to talk about those things. I know that's fun for people out there, but for us, it's just one day at a time. And really, it's about us, right? It's going out there, being able to accomplish the things that we need to get done in order to be the best version of ourselves. The season, as we know, is a long season. You've got to continue to grow every single week and the ideal plan is to get better and better every single week."
You mentioned that you already anticipate Nick playing, but how did he get through last week's practice and then the travel? Were there any effects on his body?
"That's definitely a Nick question, but Nick's a pro at everything he does. The ultimate pro. He's got some calming features to him that really, he's able to communicate at a very high level, which I'm sure he's communicating with Kyle. Obviously those guys will handle all those situations right now, but when you talk about me anticipating him being out there, I definitely anticipate that because of who he is and what he's done and how he's going about his process to get ready for this."
What are some of the challenges when it comes to instilling in your defensive backs going up against the likes of Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua and Los Angeles Rams WR Davante Adams, the talent that they have? What are some of those messages that you're telling them?
"Yeah, let's just cut to the chase. They're pain in the asses, right? And you've got to go out there and compete. I was around Puka when he got drafted very early. Davante has been a pain in the ass for a very long time in the National Football League for all of us. These guys are well coached, they play the game the right way and it'll be certainly a big challenge for all of our guys to go out there and play against these guys."
When you coach and teach your team defense, what's more important, technique or attitude?
"A little bit of both. It'd be hard to say what's more important. When you're on defense, you've got the ability to go out there and really play with a certain standard. And our standard is our standard and that will never change as long as Kyle Shanahan is the head coach. And then the other thing, when you're talking about the technique and things of those, technique and opportunity meet and that's how you make plays in almost every sport that I've ever participated in or coached in or been a part of. So, I think all those things come into play at different levels and different times."
Offensive Coordinator Klay Kubiak
Welcome to Melbourne. I'm really keen on, you spoke about getting some speed on the team. Who are some guys that you've seen in the locker room that you're really excited about for this season?
"I'm excited about all of them. I mean, a lot of guys putting in a lot of good work. We got a great core group of guys. Obviously, we're excited about the new guys, [WR] Mike [Evans], some of our rookies, Strib [WR De'Zhaun Stribling], [RB] Kaelon [Black], a lot of guys. So, I'm just excited to see our guys who've been putting in the work go out there and put it on the field and start our season off. So, it's been a good week and looking forward to the game."
What kind of challenge is it preparing for Los Angeles Rams DLs Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett?
"It's a very difficult challenge. Two of the all-time greats and two guys that can wreck a game plan if you don't have a plan for them and you don't have attention on them on every play. And so, that's one of the many challenges of playing against these guys, is those two guys, but they've got good players on their entire defensive line, their entire defense. So, we got our work cut out for us, but we're putting in the work and getting ready for it. But it's going to be a huge challenge."
How are you assessing the left guard situation? Do you have to factor in that it is those kinds of guys on the other side in terms of wanting someone with some experience in playing in the league? Or how did you assess that?
"I don't think so. I think you play who you feel most comfortable with. I think I said this a few weeks ago though, it's like, when you look at guard, there's never any reason why guys can't rotate as well. I mean, multiple guys can play in the game and we'll see how the game goes with who we start and kind of how we want to do the rotation. But you've got to get a feel for how the game's going and how guys are handling stuff. So, nothing's settled, nothing's determined right now. It's not going to be based on experience necessarily. We're going to go with who we think should start based on who's had the best camp and kind of where they're at and see how the game goes."
Do you plan on rotating during the game or you have no idea?
"I don't know. We're going to have multiple guys up and multiple guys ready to go. So, whether they rotate or not, that'll be determined how the game goes."
It's QB Brock Purdy's fifth year in the league, and I just wondered how impressive has his growth been? It feels like he's been labeled before as a system quarterback. It feels like that's potentially very unfair. What has his growth been like and what development are you hoping to see from him?
"Yeah, I think you've seen a guy really in his fifth year who's just kind of, in a lot of ways, mastered his craft in terms of his preparation, the way he approaches the offseason, the way he seeks to improve and get better every day. He's very confident in himself and kind of his process, and that's what to me is really jumping out this year is Brock's process and the way he gets ready for a game, the way he handles an offseason. He has his way of doing it, and it works, and he's really owned it. In terms of being in our system, I think he has really grown to be really comfortable. Whether he's mastered things, I don't know if he would say that, but he's very comfortable in a lot of things, and he's very capable of being challenged with new things, and he wants new things. And guys like that are a lot of fun to work with because they know what they're good at, but they want to be challenged with new things and they can handle it. And Brock's ready to go on and take on a new season. So, I'm real excited about where he's at and looking forward to seeing how he plays."
What's it been like getting WR Deebo Samuel Sr. back in the mix?
"It's been great. I've loved having Deebo back. I've loved his attitude, loved the way he's been working at practice every day, being willing to help our team in any way he needs to. And, you know, we got to get Deebo the ball. We got to get him his touches like he's going to get because he can affect the game in a lot of ways. And so, looking forward to seeing what Deebo can do."
Is his attitude different from what it was in 2023?
"I wouldn't say that. I mean, Deebo's always been, to me, I've always had a lot of admiration for the way Deebo plays, the way he goes about his work. I mean, nobody's more physical and explosive with the ball in their hand and the way he competes on game day. He's been that same guy to me every day."
What has WR Mike Evans brought to your group?
"A lot. He's obviously the veteran presence, he's seen a lot of football and he's a very savvy, confident veteran football player who adds a lot of leadership qualities to our room. And he's a matchup issue. And he's a guy who, to me, what I've been most impressed about Mike is, Mike doesn't ask a lot of questions. He doesn't overthink a lot of things. Give me the route, tell me the play, I'm going to find a way to get it done. And I really respect that about Mike. He doesn't overthink it. And he's a competitor. And so, I really like what we've been seeing. He's been out there practicing these past couple of days, looks good. And like everyone else, looking forward to the season and seeing how he can grow in our offense."
How often do you see him next to Stribling, either on the practice field or meeting room, locker room? And do you see those two spending a lot of time together?
"I wouldn't say I've noticed it a ton. It hasn't stood out to me, but I know they have been working together and I know Strib has been eating up whatever information he can get from Mike, from everybody really. Strib's been absorbing a lot, but I wouldn't say anything stood out to me in terms of their relationship."
Does his maturity level stand out?
"That's what we've said kind of all along. It's one of the reasons why we drafted him is kind of how he is, how he's carried himself, the way he was in college, the way he played, his character on tape in college is what we loved. And it's only shown up here since he's been here. He's a very mature, smart young man and he's a good football player. He's got a bright future."
RB Kaelon Black had a pretty strong preseason. What do you expect from him and his impact come game time on Friday?
"Yeah, he did have a good preseason, had a really good training camp. We expect Kaelon to go, when he gets in there and gets his touches, to run very hard like he's been doing, to add some explosiveness to our run game. And I expect Kaelon to play like he's been playing all preseason, to be on his details, to be on it in pass protection, in the pass game, and go out there and execute and add a spark to our offense when his number's called upon."
Do you see that maturity in Kaelon the same with Stribling?
"100%. I think those two guys are really in the same bucket for me. It's why they're ready to go out there and help our offense right now. It's how they're wired and they're ready to go."
It feels like the Shanahan offense is spread over half the league at this point. In your experience working with Kyle, what separates him and keeps him kind of at the pointy end of the spear as the league looks at offense?
"Obviously Kyle's had a lot of influence on this league in terms of the style of offense we play, running the ball, marrying run and pass together, all those things, but to me it's just the preparation. I think Kyle, the way he looks at the game, the way he attacks defenses, and then the way he is with players, getting guys ready to play, getting them to play confidently, it's pretty special. And, I think Kyle would say this, it's not about the idea, it's not about the scheme, it's the work you put in, the way you get players confident to go out there and execute it. And nobody's better at that than him. So, it's been pretty cool for me to be around and see him do it."
Now that you and your team have been here for a few days, what's your thought on Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay's game plan coming here just 24 hours before the game?
"I think this is unprecedented for both teams and nobody wants to stand up here and speculate right now, 'Oh, this is the right way to do it.' I think both teams have their reasons for doing it the way they're going to do it. People are probably going to speculate after the game, 'Well, this was better than the other,' but at the end of the day, we're going to go out there and play. It's an unprecedented situation. We believe in the way we're doing it. They believe in the way they're doing it and we're going to play the game. So, it's really at the end of the day, it's all there is to it."
How has TE George Kittle looked in practice over the past couple of weeks?
"Yeah, he's looked good. I'm super impressed with how he's looked considering the injury he had and how quickly he got back out on the field and just committed to his rehab. And it's been pretty cool to see Kittle out there looking like himself to me and looking fresh. And how that affects him on game day and how much, what the workload is, that'll be determined, but he looks good to me. He's practicing full speed. He's getting a ton of reps. So, I feel like we're in good shape."
So, your expectation is that he'll play?
"Yeah, we've got to see how it gets through the rest of the week. We got two more practices, but Kittle looks good."
What does Strib bring to your offense this year?
"Yeah, he's a tough, physical, very good athlete that's playing the wide receiver position. And that's what we've loved about him from day one. His physicality, his competitiveness, how smart he is. He's a rookie who's absorbed a lot and we've put a lot on his plate, and he's responded to those challenges. He's going to be a big part of our offense and just looking forward to seeing him out there and getting him going."
Just one more on getting here a little bit earlier. Do you feel like the city is behind you guys?
"I have not been out interacting with the fans, but we'll see. I hear it's going to be more Niners fans, but we'll see when we get out there."
QB Brock Purdy
The average male sleeps seven to eight hours a night. The fact that the Rams have brought on Los Angeles Rams DL Myles Garrett and Los Angeles Rams DL Aaron Donald, what's your sleep score currently at?
"No, I'm still at eight hours (laughter). It's a great question, but obviously those guys playing together and stuff, they're really good players. It's going to be fun to go up against them. Hopefully that answers your question."
Is there a level of excitement for all the players being here in Melbourne? You're potentially being in front of 100,000 people. How's the team feeling about that prospect?
"We're excited about it. Obviously, I feel like in college we've played in bigger stadiums and stuff, like pushing anywhere from 90 to 100, occasionally. But in the NFL, to be able to play in front of 100, it's going to be the first time for a lot of us for an NFL game. So, really, really excited about that. We're hearing that a lot of the Australians here are passionate about sports and everything. So, for us to be able to come out and play the first NFL game out here in front of them is going to be really special. Hopefully they all get really hyped and love the game and we can put on a good show for them."
What's it been like to have TE George Kittle back out there with you?
"It's been awesome. Obviously, George is very electric with his personality and all that, what he brings to the team, but just seeing him back out on the field running around and how explosive he is as a tight end, it feels really good to have him back. He's a Hall-of-Fame caliber player and he's going to make plays anytime he's out there. So, for me as a quarterback to have him back out there feels really good."
Being in Nashville, you were probably privy to a little more than others in terms of seeing his recovery. Did anything stand out to you from that experience of being around him as he was coming back?
"Obviously, George did a bunch of different stuff and I feel like he could tell you probably more about what he did exactly. But from my end, just watching him, he was just so specific with his rehab every single day when I saw him and the things that he did. But, all I know is he went hard. He did everything he could to get back for this Week One, so that's a credit to him, man. That's actually remarkable to be able to have that kind of injury and do what he did to get back. He flew places, he did things. He did everything the right way and he just worked his tail off every day in the weight room. From when we were back in California in OTAs, in the summer in Tennessee and then back during camp, everybody saw what he was doing. So, big credit to him for doing that and doing it for the team. He wanted to get back to play with the boys and to give this organization everything he's got. So, that's George."
Everyone says you have command of the huddle. What does command of the huddle mean and how did you have that when you stepped in midseason all those years ago?
"I feel like just understanding what my job is as quarterback. Making sure everyone is in the huddle, hears the play clearly so they know what their job is and we can do that over and over and over again, and holding a standard. Feeling out practice, making sure that we're practicing the right way so that it translates to the games on Sundays and stuff like that. I feel like for me growing up, as I played quarterback at a young age and stuff, that's just something that sort of fell upon the quarterback of being the leader that everyone sort of looks to with how he handles adversity and if everything isn't how it should be, how is our quarterback handling it? So, I feel like that's something that as you grow up playing quarterback, you sort of understand that. And so, where I'm at now playing for the 49ers and doing that, nothing's really changed. That's something that I've just done my whole life."
Brock, congratulations, 50 games on Friday for the Niners. Can you take us back to your very first career start and what have you learned from your 49 other games as you head into the MCG?
"Yeah, man, my first career start, 2022 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was a fun game. Went out there, we all did great as a team and we went on a good little winning streak there at the end of the year. But from that moment on until now, I just feel like I've grown a lot with who I am as a person, as a quarterback, trying to grow my game. What I knew then compared to now is obviously night and day difference. And understanding still though, that same love of the game that I had from my first start until now has been the same. I absolutely love this game and love playing quarterback and competing and doing everything I can to help take our organization to new heights. That's something that I really love."
Just on that growth, it's been well documented being Mr. Irrelevant to now being QB1 of the Niners, now starting a game halfway around the world. Has there been someone behind the scenes that's been really instrumental in your journey to get to this point in your career?
"Yeah, definitely. You know, as a kid, growing up, I watched the NFL and stuff and obviously I just loved the game of football and I wanted to be on the TV one day playing and throwing touchdowns and doing all those things. Obviously, that didn't just happen overnight. It happened by taking it one day at a time and loving the game, loving practices, loving the dog days and the early morning workouts and all those things. I just loved that. And then, keeping my head down and going about high school and college and trying to make the NFL, an NFL team. Then, I don't know, I've looked up now and it's like, all right, here we are. I am doing what I dreamed of as a kid. And so, with that being said, I don't take it for granted. I definitely wear my heart on my sleeve and have that chip on my shoulder to go out every day and play this game and know that it's not guaranteed tomorrow. That's how I look at it, but I definitely enjoy every single moment of it."
There's a growing number of Australians playing American Football at the grassroots level. Any advice for any Australians who want to get to college and want to make it to the NFL?
"Yeah, man, sort of just like what I said. I think my best advice would be just be where your feet are at. Don't look and try to be somewhere where you need to be in 15 years. Be where you're at right now. Go hard at your training, your preparation. A lot of people are probably going to say it's not possible, you can't do it, but telling you, if you really do love what you do, it is possible. I would tell that to any kid out there, whether you're in Australia or any other country, the United States, it doesn't matter. I think it's the same thing. If you love what you do then I think you can definitely go and achieve something pretty great."
There's a team called the Warriors who are in the finals who have never won anything. Is there a mental thing you can think about it or do you go about it every day as you would?
"Yeah. You've got to start somewhere. I don't think you should buy into other people's opinions or criticisms. People are always going to have an opinion. But, I think if you believe in yourself and you trust in your work ethic and the preparation that you've put in, yeah you can go win. You can go do it all."
What have you seen from WR De'Zhaun Stribling working with WR Mike Evans? He seems like he's just absorbing everything like a sponge.
"One hundred-percent. It's cool just for me to sort of look at the receiver room and see Mike Evans and [WR] Demarcus Robinson, having [WR] Deebo [Samuel Sr.] back, like some older guys. And then you've got Stribling to be able to go and learn from those guys. And you could see them out on the practice field in between periods and stuff, just like talking and going over routes and stuff. I just think overall, and Stribling knows it, how blessed he is to have that kind of room, those older vets and stuff where he can learn. And the cool thing is he has put aside his ego and everything and he knows that he's young and he's got to learn and all that kind of thing. He's doing that. So that's why we all love Stribling is because he's willing to learn."
What have you seen from him from the first day of OTAs to now?
"I think just the mindset that he's had has been really cool from day one until now. Trying to come in, learn the playbook, be where he needs to be, compete, go up and get the ball, stuff like that, that he's shown early on. He's still doing now, which is cool, but I just feel like he's a little bit more savvy now and understands right when he breaks a huddle what he's got and then he can go run his route confidently and play himself and not overthink things, but just go out and play. So, I'm really excited to see him Week One and what he does this year."
From the Rams secondary, new piece in Los Angeles Rams CB Trent McDuffie. What jumps off the film about him?
"Yeah, just really good in coverage. Obviously, I just think he's a guy that if you get a one-on-one opportunity and stuff, you've got to just be aware of like what he's capable of doing. He's great in coverage. And I think that's why the Rams obviously went out and got him. It was a great addition for them and their defense, their scheme and how they run things. But, going back to playing against him the last couple of years in my career, he's a guy that pops out on tape and obviously when I'm out in the game, you could definitely feel him making plays over and over again. So, I've got a lot of respect for him and I've got to be aware of where he's at."
Have you gotten the chance to have a look at the MCG? Can you talk about the preparation required to play in a new stadium? How excited are you to play in the stadium that you haven't had a chance to play in before?
"I haven't been in it yet. Obviously, I've driven by, but yeah, I've looked up games and stuff that have been played there, how loud it can get. I'm really excited about it obviously, but I think just understanding the cadence that we have to be on, the noise and everything, handling that, the operation within the huddle, making sure guys can hear things. I'm sure it's going to get pretty loud at times which is cool. Those are fun environments to play in. So, I think that and then obviously it is a big circle. So, like the field will be in the middle of that circle. So, just like having fans sort of further away compared to right up on the sideline. I don't know if that'll be a big impact for me or not, but yeah that'll be something that's different."
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