Running back Jerick McKinnon suffered a torn ACL on September 1. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo went down with the same injury about three weeks later. Linebacker Kwon Alexander sustained the same injury on October 21.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan sounds confident that all three will be ready for the start of training camp in late-July.


"I'm hoping that [McKinnon is] going to be full-go day one, just like Jimmy," Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday. "Then we'll decide how we want to treat them with reps and stuff like that because you've got to be smart with guys coming off an ACL (injury), just like Kwon.

"We're hoping that they're all ready day one, and I think they've got a very good chance to be."

While Garoppolo has taken part in much of the team's offseason program, which concludes this week, McKinnon has been limited. Much of that has to do with the differences in the positions that they play.

Shanahan believes Garoppolo and McKinnon are at about the same pace in their rehabs.

"If Jerick was a quarterback, he can go out there and do stuff on air," Shanahan said. "They've been throwing him routes. He looks good on air but when you throw a guy in when it's not a planned route or something like that, and someone runs at him or dives at his legs, and he's just got to react and do something, that's where you want to give it one more month; the time that it needs.


"We're real excited about him. It's a different position, but I think him and Jimmy are at the same pace."

Meanwhile, Garoppolo got his first taste of team drills this offseason. He stepped in for one 11-on-11 rep during two-minute drills on Wednesday and completed a pass to wide receiver Dante Pettis.

Shanahan got a bit anxious with the pass rush and pulled the defensive linemen out. Garoppolo proceeded with the now 11-on-7 drive and capped it off with a touchdown pass to Pettis.


Wednesday's practice was the last of the offseason program. The 49ers will have a team meeting on Thursday and then enjoy a "family day" featuring barbeque by D.J. Jones' father and possibly some bouncy houses for the kids.

"There's some pressure on [Jones' father]," Shanahan said. "We'll see how he can do it for 200 people. It will be the last day for us before we get away for about a month."


The team won't reconvene on the practice field again until training camp in late-July.

Follow us on: X, Facebook, Threads, Instagram

Read Original Article
Visit 49ers Webzone

More San Francisco 49ers News