Fiery cornerback Chase Lucas aiming to help 49ers any way he can in 2025

SANTA CLARA — In the aftermath of the 49ers’ victory over the Detroit Lions two seasons ago in the NFC Championship Game, Deommodore Lenoir and Chase Lucas exchanged words&period;Teammates of both players kept the on-field altercation from getting physical following the 49ers’ come-from-behind victory at Levi’s Stadium that sent San Francisco to Super Bowl LVIII&period; That was Lucas’ final game with the Lions&period;Five weeks later, he signed with the 49ers as a free agent&period;Now, that’s a funny turn of events&period;“It’s even more funny that I got into it with my best friend, Deommodore Lenoir,” Lucas said Saturday night after an impressive individual performance in the 49ers’ preseason opener against the Denver Broncos&period;Once rivals in the old Pac-12 Conference, Lucas and Lenoir quickly went from being on the verge of throwing fists to bonding as teammates with the 49ers&period;“That’s the best part,” Lucas said&period; “He went to Oregon&period; I went to ASU&period; We had some Twitter beef, then I see him on the NFC Championship field, and it just came back to life&period;”Now that they are teammates, Lucas and Lenoir have helped each other get better as players while being nearly inseparable off the field&period;Lucas channeled his feisty side in a productive fashion on Saturday, as he stood out as one of the 49ers’ top players in the game&period; He has gotten off to a good start this summer after he failed to earn the right to suit up for any regular-season games a year ago&period;Lucas played 21 games, including in the playoffs, in his two seasons with the Lions before coming to the 49ers&period;Lucas was among the 49ers’ final cuts a year ago&period; The 49ers re-signed him to the practice squad, where he remained as an insurance policy for the entire season&period; It was difficult, but Lucas said he kept a positive attitude and focused on doing what was best for the team&period;“I just took it day-by-day,” Lucas said&period; “Kyle (Shanahan) asked me to play some receiver in practice, and I even did that&period; I’m not a selfish dude&period; I just really want to see the team succeed&period; And if I can help by any means, I’m going to do it&period;”He found out a couple hours before Saturday’s game that rookie nickel back Upton Stout would not play&period; Lucas ended up playing 59 snaps on defense and 10 more on special teams&period; He made a strong case for a spot on the 53-man roster&period;Lucas got involved in a number of ways&period; He pressured Denver quarterback Bo Nix into an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone for a safety&period; Then, he broke up a deep Nix pass intended for Denver receiver Troy Franklin&period;Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh gave Lucas a heads-up before the game that he would give him opportunities to make plays&period;“Saleh told me, ‘I’m going to let it rip&period;’ And I said, ‘If you’re going to let it rip, I’m going to show you some things&period;’ He stuck to his word,” Lucas said, “and it ended up working in our favor&period;”But when asked about what plays meant the most to him on Saturday, Lucas focused on something different&period;“Everybody’s going to talk about the (pass broken up) and the safety,” Lucas said&period; “My favorite plays were the run fits&period; I messed up on the run fits during the joint practice, and I took pride in that&period; I told Saleh, ‘Look, these next two days I’m going to be with the linebackers and try to figure this out&period;’”Linebackers Tatum Bethune and Curtis Robinson helped Lucas lock in his assignments in the run game from the nickel back position, he said&period;The results showed, as Lucas’ fiery competitiveness also was on display&period; He had a game-high eight tackles, including five solo stops&period;Lucas was in the middle of a lot of trash talk and back-and-forth when the 49ers and Denver met Thursday during a joint practice&period; He was ready to take the competition up a notch or two during the game at Levi’s Stadium&period;It would not be accurate to say that Lucas let his actions do all the talking&period; No, he did plenty of talking, too&period;“Some of them (Broncos) got me in practice, and I let them know, that (stuff) isn’t going to happen in the game,” Lucas said&period; “I think they know that now&period;”Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

Fiery cornerback Chase Lucas aiming to help 49ers any way he can in 2025

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