Tuesday marked Day 11 of Training Camp presented by Visa, as the San Francisco 49ers welcomed the Tennessee Titans to the SAP Performance Facility for a joint practice ahead of Thursday's preseason game.
INJURY UPDATES
Back at practice:
- WR Mike Evans suited up. He did not participate in team drills.
- DL Nick Bosa was present at Training Camp, but was not suited up.
- OL Carver Willis returned.
Did not practice:
- RB Christian McCaffrey did not practice due to soreness.
- WR Jacob Cowing and DL Mykel Williams were not suited up.
- Several players remained sidelined, including WR Christian Kirk (calf), RB Jordan James (rib), RB Kaelon Black (adductor), S Malik Mustapha (hamstring), DL Keion White (adductor), OL Vederian Lowe, FB Kyle Juszczyk (finger), and LB Luke Gifford (hamstring).
PRACTICE NOTES
The joint practice with the Titans brought a headline-grabbing reunion between the 49ers and first-year Titans head coach Robert Saleh, who spent five seasons as defensive coordinator under head coach Kyle Shanahan. Saleh held the position from 2017–2020, which included a run to Super Bowl LIV in 2019, before returning to San Francisco for another season last year.
"It's great to see him," LB Fred Warner said in a press conference after practice. "I'm happy for him, his opportunity, and all the times that we've shared together. Saleh is solid and after everything he's given me, I'm so excited for his opportunity with their team."
Offense:
The 49ers got their first opportunity to work against a different team this Training Camp, with the offense taking on the Titans defense on one side of the field while the 49ers defense faced the Titans offense on the other.
QB Brock Purdy connected with several targets during team periods, including receivers Demarcus Robinson, De'Zhaun Stribling, and Deebo Samuel Sr. five times each. Tight ends Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges also got involved with a handful of catches.
"Being able to move the ball on them and get some good reps with Deebo, Stribling and stuff like that, I think for me was huge," Purdy said. "D-Rob had a great day."
During red zone work alone, the 49ers found the end zone seven times. Purdy connected with Robinson for the first touchdown and later found Farrell wide open in the right corner of the end zone. QB Mac Jones followed with back-to-back touchdown connections to Stribling and TE Brayden Willis before Purdy found Samuel Sr. for the third-straight score. Jones later threw to Samuel Sr. for another touchdown, and RB Khalil Herbert capped off the period with a strong touchdown run up the middle.
One of the biggest plays of the day came during team drills when Purdy connected with Robinson on a deep ball for a touchdown. Purdy also used his legs to find the end zone during situational work.
Defense:
The highly competitive nature of the 49ers defense was on full display from the first play of team drills. The defensive line stopped Titans running back Tyjae Spears at the line of scrimmage, and the two teams exchanged words, showcasing the intensity built up throughout the offseason.
"It felt good to be going against another jersey," Warner said.
DL C.J. West also fired up his defense and coaches during team drills after recording a big tackle for a loss. West filled the gap, creating a wall at the line of scrimmage before smothering the running back in the backfield.
The defensive line generated pressure throughout the session. In one series, LB Nick Martin got loose and put a hand in front of Titans quarterback Cam Ward. Ward completed the pass, but the play ended with a big tackle from linebacker Garret Wallow.
DB Larry Worth III turned in multiple standout plays, one of which led to an interception to close out the first half of team drills. Worth, putting pressure on Ward, caused a hurried throw. The pass was then intercepted by a leaping CB Jakob Robinson.
What's Next:
The 49ers will return to the SAP Performance Facility on Wednesday for a private walk-through before suiting up for Thursday's preseason opener against the Titans.
Shanahan told the media after practice that there will not be many starters playing in Thursday's preseason matchup against the Titans, giving veterans time to rest and young players opportunities to showcase in live game action.
"Thursday is going to be a really great opportunity for a lot of young guys who may not have had that opportunity to be in those positions to see what they got in a live-action setting," Warner said. "But today was as close as that's going to get."
Kickoff at Levi's® Stadium on Thursday is set for 6 p.m. Tickets are still available at 49ers.com/tickets.
