Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Tuesday, July 30th, 2024
49ers Injury Updates: Guerendo, Cowing, and major worry for Jackson
“Do not bet on seeing Drake Jackson any time soon. The 2022 second-round pick has been injury plagued throughout his young career and is coming off patellar tendon surgery. It cannot be understated just how down Kyle Shanahan was on the prospects of him playing any time soon.”
How Mason’s strong camp so far complicates 49ers’ RB hierarchy
“Having Mason and Mitchell healthy and available to spell McCaffrey is the ideal outcome, but for now it’s anyone’s guess who is first up when the 49ers’ bell cow back comes off the field.”
Brendel, Warner benefit from head-to-head 49ers camp battles
“As Brendel explains it, the 49ers’ offense during the first couple weeks of training camp focuses on run plays in which everything is predicated on where the middle linebacker lines up. Brendel will come to the line of scrimmage and point out Warner to his teammates along the offensive line.
Then, more often than not, Brendel’s assignment is to get to the second level to block Warner.
“A lot of it is just me and Fred right now,” Brendel said. “He knows it. So any time he hears ‘Fifty-four’ come out of my mouth, it’s usually a collision between us two.”
Taylor, with a nudge from Kittle, reprises 49ers return role
“It started with George, really,” Taylor told NBC Sports Bay Area. “He was the one who mentioned (the 49ers) were looking for a new punt returner. He kept getting on to me, ‘Dude, just text Kyle.’
“I’m like, ‘I don’t know about that.’”
It was a daily occurrence as Kittle and Taylor trained in Nashville during the offseason. Taylor eventually gave in, and he’s glad he did.
“I finally did it,” Taylor said, “And Kyle got right back to me: ’Thanks for texting; I’ll get back to you in a few days.’”
Three days later, Taylor said he got a call from his agent, who told him the 49ers had sent a contract proposal.”
49ers’ Jordan Mason making spirited charge to back up Christian McCaffrey (paywall)
“Chris Foerster, the offensive line coach and run-game coordinator, has noted that Mason’s grasp of the 49ers’ system has made him a more polished runner, and McCaffrey’s presence helps explain his strides as a pass catcher.
Mason “has become a better ball carrier,” Foerster said. “He was just such a hard-running, strong, physical, tough guy that he gained yards — sheer-willed himself into yards. Now he’s understanding the playbook better. … He’s had a chance to run more routes. He’s had a chance to watch Christian run routes. It’s a huge benefit to not only be coached well, but to have a guy that’s premier at doing it and go like, ‘Oh, I can see how that’s done a little bit better.’ ”
How 49ers’ Banks is handling pressure entering contract year
“I like to take it day by day. I like to stay in the moment,” Banks told reporters after Monday’s practice. “Go to each practice, focus on each practice, when the games come, focus on each game. I think as long as I keep doing that, when it comes to that time, it will play out how it’s supposed to. If I get ahead of myself and start thinking about that stuff … that’s not something that I want to do.”
CMC recalls seeing ‘stone cold killer’ when Purdy entered huddle
“Man, I saw a stone cold killer,” McCaffrey told Papa and Lund. “I think he showed up, and he showed up to play. I think he was confident, he was prepared, and he was Brock. And I haven’t seen anything different. That’s what has been so cool about his growth, he’s one of the best players in the National Football League and he approaches every day like it’s the most important day.
“Every meeting, every practice, everything he does, he’s extremely critical on himself. Everyone always talks about how he’s the last pick in the draft, and I get that, but people forget he’s one of the best players int he NFL and was an MVP candidate last year. Where you were drafted means nothing, it’s about what you do when you get the opportunity, and he seized the day.””
49ers’ top 6 training camp competitions, including backup QB and starting RG (paywall)
“You have to look at Jon Feliciano as an aging player to say what’s best for him, in regard to trying to make it to — hopefully there’s a Week, 18, 19, 20,” he said. “If there are those weeks at the end of the year, then how do you get him there and what does that look like this time of year and into the season? Same thing with Spence and Puni, it’s all the same. So it’s a kind of a fluid situation right now. And that’s good to have. Unfortunately, there’s not as much time to develop guys or have a competition, but I think it’s good.”
49ers’ first padded practice is a bang for defense, bust for Brock Purdy (paywall)
“But after a day off on Sunday, the 49ers seemed to ease their way into the next block of practices Monday. For example, there were no one-on-one drills between offensive and defensive linemen or between linebackers and running backs, which is a usual staple of padded sessions. And with the exception of Hawkins’ hit, there wasn’t a lot of rough stuff.
“We show a lot of clips before we get out to practice to make sure no one’s going out there and just acting like it’s game day because we have pads on,” Shanahan said.”