49ers 7/31 practice: Jimmy Garoppolo’s two picks, Trey Lance runs, Jordan Matthews returns

The San Francisco 49ers held their fourth of 13 scheduled training camp practices. Below are some practice notes from various media sources.

---

Did not practice:

• LB Dre Greenlaw (foot)
• WR Jalen Hurd (unknown)
• TE George Kittle (maintenance day)
• TE MyCole Pruitt (calf)

Linebacker Dre Greenlaw is dealing with a blister on his foot — nothing to be concerned about.

Defensive end Nick Bosa returned to practice after receiving Friday off for what head coach Kyle Shanahan called a "maintenance day." He still is not taking part in team drills, though. Defensive linemen Dee Ford and Javon Kinlaw joined Bosa on a side field after individual drills.


General manager John Lynch welcomed fans and honored first responders before practice.


It was rookie tight end Josh Pederson's turn to fire up the fans before practice.


"I was a little disappointed with Josh's efforts today," offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey joked after practice. "I think just going into the YMCA, not getting really involved, I think we need a little bit more energy with that."

Newly signed tight end Jordan Matthews, a former wide receiver, is wearing No. 88 during his third stint with the team.


"He did not catch any passes during 11-on-11 work, and struggled to achieve separation during a one-on-one period," wrote Matt Maiocco. (NBC Sports Bay Area)

QB watch

After three practices of mostly staying in the pocket, rookie Trey Lance showed off his scrambling ability. He ran on three consecutive plays during team drills, going for over 20 yards on one play. He also had a designed run after a fake handoff to running back Elijah Mitchell, which caught the defense off guard. (KNBR, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Bay Area)

Lance ran on the first snap of team drills but not before seeing that his two receivers were well-covered. Lance finished 7-of-12 passing with no interceptions while going against the second-team defense. (Bay Area News Group)


Jimmy Garoppolo tossed two interceptions during practice, including his first of training camp. It was a would-be pick-six by star linebacker Fred Warner that appeared to be intended for wide receiver Richie James. Although, others believe fullback Kyle Juszczyk was the target. "Went to the left flat check down, didn't see 54," wrote Chris Biderman. (Sacramento Bee)

Garoppolo followed the turnover with two nice deep passes. The first was to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the second to tight end Ross Dwelley. (KNBR)

Garoppolo threw his second interception while targeting wide receiver Deebo Samuel deep. Cornerback Jason Verrett came away with the football. "[Garoppolo] double-clutched, then threw a super fluttery ball intended for Deebo Samuel," wrote Jake Hutchinson. (KNBR)

"To be clear, Garoppolo had a few perfect throws, some especially nice medium-range touch balls over defenders, but clearly more hesitant than the last three days," wrote Hutchinson. "Lance, meanwhile, was as precise as ever, had myriad bullet throws that literally turned heads."

Later, head coach Kyle Shanahan reaffirmed that Garoppolo is the team's starting quarterback.

"Jimmy's our starter because he's our best quarterback right now," Shanahan told Steve Mariucci after practice. "And obviously, we think a lot of Trey, and that's why we invested what we did. So, we're expecting him to get better each day, and that's what he's done in these four practices so far.

Garoppolo finished practice 9-of-15 passing with the two picks. Nate Sudfeld was a perfect 6-for-6, including connecting with Samuel in his final three throws. (Bay Area News Group)

Josh Rosen was part of a nice play, even if his pass didn't end up with the intended target. The football bounced out of wide receiver Mohamed Sanu's hands and into the hands of Dwelley, who sprinted for the score. (The Athletic)

The play was one of two completions in three attempts that Rosen had during practice.

Other notes

The defense got into the end zone a second time, courtesy of a botched handoff between Lance and running back Trey Sermon. Defensive end Arden Key scooped up the fumble and made the return for a score. (The Athletic)

After practice, defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans commented on Warner's interception of Garoppolo.

"Fred, he's reading Jimmy, reading Jimmy's eyes, and he's been doing a really good job of his zone drops," Ryans told reporters. "Fred's a guy he drops in zone coverage and does a really good job being patient, staying square, eyes on the quarterback. And he really did a great job of reading Jimmy there, breaking on a ball, and Fred has been working on his hands throughout the offseason. So it's paying off for him.

"So happy to see him get that pick, and you could tell everyone's excited on the sidelines for him. But Fred is a guy I look to make those type of plays, those impact game-changing plays."

Aiyuk finished the day with five catches. Defensive end Jordan Willis had two would-be sacks. (NBC Sports Bay Area)

Other videos from practice


Remaining training camp practices

49ers players have Sunday off and return to the practice field on Monday.

• Monday, August 2
• Tuesday, August 3 (first padded practice)
• Wednesday, August 4
• Friday, August 6
• Saturday, August 7 (Levi's Stadium)
• Sunday, August 8
• Tuesday, August 10
• Wednesday, August 11
• Thursday, August 12

Related News

• 49ers training camp: Trey Lance's rushing dynamic finally revealed; Garoppolo throws first interceptions The Mercury News • Jul 31, 2021
  May require subscription
• 49ers camp observations: Trey Lance closer to competing for QB job? NBCS Bay Area • Jul 31, 2021
• Jimmy Garoppolo Throws Two Interceptions on Day 4 of Camp SI.com • Jul 31, 2021
• Jimmy Garoppolo's errors, Trey Lance's explosiveness stand out in 49ers' practice San Francisco Chronicle • Jul 31, 2021
  May require subscription
• Trey Lance Flaunts His Mobility on Day 4 of #49ersCamp 49ers.com • Jul 31, 2021
• The Good and Not So Good from Day 4 of 49ers Training Camp SI.com • Jul 31, 2021