With right guard being an open competition, Burford will miss a prime opportunity to win the job.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to the media after Saturday’s practice and provided some injury updates.
Spencer Burford has worked exclusively with the first team at right guard through today. Shanahan said that Burford suffered a fractured hand and —after prefacing that the media are sticklers with timetables—said he’ll miss around three weeks. The team must figure out whether Burford needs surgery.
His backup, Jon Feliciano, has been dealing with a knee issue. That opens the door for rookie Dominick Puni to take first-team reps in their absences.
Offensive line coach Chris Foerster all but said right guard is a wide open competition:
That right guard spot, I’m not going to say it’s like a wide open competition, but it’s going to be interesting to see because there’s three good players all, with different things that they do well, and different dynamics to the whole thing.
Do you really want, even if Puni is the best player, is that the guy? Do you want him out there, opening day, Monday Night Football against the Jets? If he’s the best player you do, but those are bright lights. Whereas opposed to Spence and Jon, who have done it. So there’s that whole dynamic.
And then it’s just who’s playing best, who’s playing well. 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. 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.”
Rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing did not practice due to a hamstring strain, while Ricky Pearsall has a chance to practice Monday, although there are no guarantees.
Safety Talanoa Hufanga appears to be on the right track, as Shanahan said Hufanga could return as soon as joint practices against the New Orleans Saints, which is around the August 15 mark.