Category: 49ers Training Camp

49ers adding rookie QB to practice squad after good preseason showing

The former Wisconsin passer is set to join the 49ers practice squad.

Behind franchise passer Brock Purdy, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback depth chart includes Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen. On Tuesday, the 49ers waived the final member of the quarterback room, rookie Tanner Mordecai.

However, after a solid preseason campaign, Mordecai is one of the first pieces the 49ers are bringing back to Santa Clara to build their practice squad. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, the 49ers are planning to add Mordecai to the practice squad.

Via @mattbarrows on Twitter:

In the preseason finale against the Raiders, Mordecai finished with 59 yards on 2-of-4 passing. In his other preseason appearance against the Saints, Mordecai threw for 36 yards on 7-of-10 passing in the 49ers’ lone preseason win.

Mordecai played six seasons of college football, with three coming at Oklahoma and two at SMU. Mordecai played his final season of college football in the Big 10 with Wisconsin. Mordecai threw for 2066 yards and nine touchdowns in 10 games with the Badgers last season.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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49ers to bring back veteran TE to 53-man roster

The veteran tight end is reportedly expected to be the No. 2 tight end behind George Kittle.

After the NFL’s deadline to make roster cuts passed on Tuesday, the San Francisco 49ers only had two tight ends listed on their final 53-man roster. Star pass catcher George Kittle was listed alongside former practice squad tight end Jake Tonges.

Heading into camp, the 49ers tight end room consisted of former 2023 draft picks Cam Latu and Brayden Willis along with veterans Logan Thomas and Eric Saubert.

Despite only carrying two tight ends through the wave of final cuts, the 49ers are reportedly bringing back one veteran tight end before the regular season gets underway. According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, the 49ers are signing Saubert back to the 53-man roster. Maiocco reported Saubert is expected to be the No. 2 tight end behind Kittle.

Via @MaioccoNBCS on Twitter:

With offensive lineman Jon Feliciano and Ambry Thomas likely headed to the injured reserve, Saubert could slide into one of their spots on the 49ers’ 53-man roster.

Saubert has played seven seasons in the NFL, spending last year with the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. During his NFL career, Saubert has recorded 36 receptions for 292 yards and two touchdowns.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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49ers rookie impresses coaches with improbable debut

In his preseason debut on Friday, the former Louisville running back carried the ball 11 times against the Raiders.

After the rookie running back suffered a hamstring injury at the start of training camp, the San Francisco 49ers have been without their 2024 fourth-round pick for most most of camp and the first two preseason games. Yet, after returning to practice earlier in the week, Isaac Guerendo made his highly-anticipated preseason debut on Friday night against the Las Vegas Raiders.

In his first preseason game in the NFL, it didn’t take long for the former Louisville Cardinal to make an impression. In the second quarter, Guerendo took back a kickoff return for a 93-yard touchdown. Along with a blazing run to the end zone on kickoff, Guerendo added 32 yards on 11 carries and two catches for three yards.

On Sunday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to members of the media on a conference call where he praised Guerendo’s performance on Friday against the Raiders. When talking about the rookie running back, Shanahan noted the lack of padded practices Guerendo has had since suiting up for the Senior Bowl in February.

I thought he did a real good job, especially since it was the first day he had shoulder pads on since the Senior Bowl. He got hurt our first day of practice and then the two practices we had before the Raiders week were unpadded practices. So for him to go that long without putting pads on, I really liked how he ran. He tried to break tackles, never eased up on contact, tried to run through it, hit the holes well and had a real good first game.
After spending five seasons at Wisconsin, Guerendo transferred to Louisville for his final season. With the Cardinals. Guerendo rushed for 810 yards on 132 carries with 11 touchdowns. Guerendo added 22 receptions for 234 yards.
Guerendo’s standout performance should likely bounce him up the depth chart and into the conversation for Christian McCaffrey’s backup alongside Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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49ers re-sign pass-catching specialist TE ahead of preseason finale

The veteran tight end was released early in training camp after being initially signed in June.

Before their preseason finale on Friday against the Las Vegas Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers added depth to their tight end room behind star George Kittle.

During the offseason, the 49ers signed former Washington Commander tight end Logan Thomas in June. Thomas was initially expected to provide some proven depth behind Kittle. Outside of veterans Kittle and Thomas, the 49ers tight end depth chart consists of sophomores Brayden Willis and Cam Latu along with journeyman Eric Saubert

However, after only a few weeks into training camp, the 49ers waived the veteran pass catcher. Thomas picked up a hamstring early in training camp. Now, with only one game remaining in the preseason, and the start of the regular season looming, the 49ers brought back Thomas on a one-year deal.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

After being drafted as a quarterback out of Virginia Tech in 2014 by the Arizona Cardinals, Thomas switched to the tight end position in 2017. Thomas broke out with the Commanders in 2020. In 2023, Thomas caught 55 balls for 496 yards receiving to go along with four touchdowns.

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Kyle Shanahan says he’s had some contact with star offensive lineman during holdout

The star offensive lineman has been holding out from practice at training camp with the 49ers.

While a bulk of the attention surrounds Brandon Aiyuk’s contract saga with the San Francisco 49ers, another star member of the offense has been absent from training camp due to a contract situation. All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams has been holding out from camp as he seeks a new deal with the 49ers.

On Wednesday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed a small update on the situation with Williams. In an appearance on San Francisco’s KNBR with Tom Tolbert and Adam Copeland, Shanahan said he’s had some contact with Williams. He said there’s “nothing new to add, but hopefully it’s getting close.”

Via @KNBR on Twitter:

Williams still has three years remaining on his current deal with the 49ers and is set to make $20.05 million this season, $22.5 million in 2025, and $32.1 million in 2026. However, none of the money left on his current contract is guaranteed.

Williams is coming off three consecutive All-Pro seasons along with four straight Pro Bowl nods. Williams started 15 games last season, earning an 89.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

With only the preseason finale left and the start of the regular season looming, Williams’ status should be a top priority for the 49ers. The 36-year-old blocker is one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL and a key to what the 49ers do on offense in the pass-and-run game. Williams provides leadership and stability to a relatively unproven group up front that’s tasked with protecting Brock Purdy.

Without Williams, the 49ers’ tackle responsibilities fall on Jaylon Moore and Colton McKivitz on the outside of the offensive line. Moore and McKivitz will likely get reps with the rest of the starters that are available in the 49ers preseason finale on Friday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The 49ers will close out the preseason in Las Vegas on Friday with kickoff set for 7 p.m. PT.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Surprise contender could shake up 49ers roster at tight end

A shakeup in the 49ers TE room? Don’t sleep on it.

Going into training camp it looked like the San Francisco 49ers had a mostly set tight end group.

George Kittle would spearhead that unit with veteran Logan Thomas offering the pass-catching backup TE the 49ers have been on the hunt for. Brayden Willis figured to be a factor heading into his second season, and then camp would be for deciding whether the club would keep a fourth TE.

That all got shaken up when Thomas was let go before the preseason opener. Suddenly the plan behind Kittle had less certainty. Willis and Eric Saubert both got a ton of run in practice with the first team, and then played plenty early in the first preseason game.

They appear to be the frontrunners to snag roster spots, but veteran Jake Tonges is making a strong case for himself with good showings in camp and the preseason. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he’s not surprised that Tonges, who spent virtually all of last season on the 49ers practice squad, has shown up in an uncertain TE room.

“Not really. We got him on our practice squad last year, so we got to see a lot of him, just on scout team and stuff,” Shanahan told reporters after Tuesday’s practice. “And he’s always done a real good job here and he’s taken advantage of his opportunities. He’s mixing around at a couple positions and he’s going to make this decision tough for us.”

Tonges spent some time at fullback in camp when Kyle Juszczyk wasn’t lining up during practice. He’s also hauled in all six of his targets in the preseason for 49 yards.

There’s nothing particularly flashy about how Tonges operates, but he’s a willing and capable blocker with a knack for finding space as a pass catcher. Those are all qualities San Francisco would love to have in a reserve TE.

Unfortunately for Tonges, blocking is going to be one of the primary skills the 49ers look for at that position. That’s something Saubert thrives at. If we’re penciling Willis in for a roster spot and the 49ers only keep three TEs, chances are Tonges winds up being the odd man out.

However, he’s certainly in the mix as the preseason winds down. There’s now a path to him making the club out of camp, and that’s impressive for a player who was largely an afterthought at the position when camp opened.

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49ers hopeful 2 injured rookies will make debuts in preseason finale

2 49ers rookies haven’t made their preseason debuts yet, but there’s hope that’ll change in Friday’s preseason finale.

The San Francisco 49ers have nearly navigated their three-game exhibition slate with only one game left Friday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

One of the notable pieces of the 49ers’ preseason has been the absences of rookie first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and rookie fourth-round running back Isaac Guerendo.

Neither player has suited up for a preseason game yet. Pearsall has barely practiced due to hamstring and shoulder injuries, while Guerendo hasn’t suited up since hurting his hamstring on Day 1 of training camp.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Sunday indicated the team hopes to get both Pearsall and Guerendo back in practice ahead of their preseason finale. That would put the pair on track to get their first taste of preseason action when the 49ers visit the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

“Yeah, that stuff is always tough when guys get hurt and they’re not out there,” Shanahan said. “Especially when guys get hurt right away. So that was so good for [WR] Jake [Cowing] to be able to go through this week, stay healthy through this week, and get to play in that game. Hopefully expecting to get [RB] Isaac [Guerendo] back next week. So hopefully practice will go well, and we can take a look at him in the game. Hopefully [WR] Ricky [Pearsall] will get there too.”

Cowing set a strong bar for offensive rookie performances when he debuted against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. He caught four of his five targets for 51 yards, and took his lone carry for 19 yards. Despite missing a ton of time, Cowing looked ready to contribute in the NFL.

The hope is for Pearsall and Guerendo to hit the ground running the same way.

San Francisco will treat their third preseason game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season with starters seeing at least a little playing time. Then they’ll give way to players like Pearsall and Guerendo, who should both receive ample opportunities given their overall lack of playing time in camp and the preseason.

If neither player can suit up or produce in their first game opportunities, it’s worth wondering whether they’ll be effective at all in their rookie seasons. If one or both put together an outing like Cowing did in his debut, they could become bigger factors in their position groups.

However, both Pearsall and Guerendo figure to be a larger part of San Francisco’s offensive plans beyond the 2024 campaign. Not that they can’t contribute in Year 1, but there’s plenty of depth ahead of both players on the roster. That should change next season where the team may rely heavily on their two 2024 draft picks.

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Is the Brandon Aiyuk contract saga ending or not?

The Brandon Aiyuk reports are exhausting. Let us know when it’s over.

Readers will be shocked to hear that new information surfaced Monday about Brandon Aiyuk’s ongoing contract negotiations.

NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reported once again that the 49ers and Aiyuk are close on a contract. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said the 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers offers for Aiyuk are in the same ballpark.

Unfortunately none of this really matters or gets us any closer to a resolution.

The same posturing and circling have been going on for multiple weeks now. As soon as the 49ers stopped trade talks with the Steelers it became clear where this was all heading. They’d either ink Aiyuk to a deal or send him to Pittsburgh for some trade package they aren’t happy with.

If the 49ers weren’t close on a contract they likely would have traded Aiyuk already. They certainly wouldn’t have upped their offer.

Now we’ve lost track of what ball is in whose court. Instead we’re left to watch these standoff between Aiyuk and the 49ers that apparently is down to some kind of minor detail per Garafolo.

Perhaps this is on Aiyuk and his agent at this point. Maybe they’re being sticklers over something small and dragging this out much longer than it needs to go.

However, it’s hard not to look at the 49ers and whatever happened in the period of time between when they decided to stop negotiating and when Aiyuk made his trade request a week before reporting to training camp.

These kind of things should have been getting hammered out a long time ago where a little bit of a standoff was acceptable. As the negotiations enter the third week of August, the standoff is no longer okay. Whatever the minor detail is needs to get ironed out, even if it means needing to make a couple of corresponding adjustments in future years because of Aiyuk’s contract structure.

At this point it no longer feels like the two sides are negotiating. It feels like they both know exactly what it’s going to take to get the deal done and neither side feels much urgency to push whatever button needs to be pushed to finalize it.

There are sure to be more reports as the Aiyuk drama envelops the rest of the NFL. It appears the only one that really matters at this point will be the one that says he’s either been signed or traded. Everything else is just continuing to spin the same wheels that have been spinning for the last two weeks.

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49ers accomplish top priority in 2nd preseason game

Kyle Shanahan provided injury updates after the 49ers’ 16-10 win over the Saints in the second week of the preseason.

For the first time in the 2024 preseason campaign, the San Francisco 49ers secured a victory. Behind Joshua Dobbs, Jacob Cowing and Cody Schrader, the 49ers cruised to a 16-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in the second week of the preseason.

Along with their win, the 49ers left Sunday’s contest without a major injury — arguably the most important facet of the preseason. Despite no big injuries coming from the game, Kyle Shanahan provided updates for multiple players who missed Sunday’s game in Santa Clara.

Following the game, Shanahan revealed starting wide receiver Jauan Jennings picked up an oblique injury. While the injury took him out of Sunday’s contest against the Saints, Jennings isn’t expected to miss much time, per Shanahan.

Via @MaioccoNBCS on Twitter:

Second-year linebacker Dee Winters joined Jennings on the sideline on Sunday after suffering a bruised knee injury in practice. Winters recorded six tackles, including a tackle for loss in the 49ers’ preseason opener against the Titans.

Via @MaioccoNBCS on Twitter:

Another preseason standout, Jordan Mason, missed Sunday’s game with an injury. Kyle Shanahan told reporters Mason did not play against the Saints due to hip soreness. Mason shined in a stint against the Titans, rushing for 34 yards and touchdown on six carries.

Via @MaioccoNBCS on Twitter:

The 49ers will have one final preseason game on Friday against the Las Vegas Raiders in Sin City before the highly-anticipated start of the 2024-25 regular season.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Brock Purdy shouldn’t have started preseason game vs. Saints

In his first preseason start of the 2024 campaign, Purdy finished with 11 yards on 2-of-6 passing against the Saints.

After a heavy dose of Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs in the San Francisco 49ers preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday marked the first appearance of a familiar face.

For the first time since their Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in February, Brock Purdy started under center for the 49ers on Sunday in the preseason against the New Orleans Saints. While some rust is expected in a preseason week two cameo, Purdy’s appearance on Sunday in Santa Clara didn’t go to plan.

After three drives in the first quarter, Purdy’s line in the box score finished with 11 yards through the air on 2-of-6 passing. However, it looked worse. In 11 plays, the 49ers managed just one first down with Purdy under center.

While Purdy’s performance included a bad decision that almost resulted in an interception, the 49ers patchwork offensive line didn’t do him any favors against a tough New Orleans Saints defensive line that featured multiple proven starters. In his short appearance, Purdy was either hit in the backfield or flushed out to scramble on nearly every drop back.

Via @FeelLikeMafe on Twitter:

Via @49ersRushPodcast on Twitter:

Along with an offensive line that was missing Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Spencer Buford and Jon Feliciano, Purdy was also without nearly all of his prime weapons. Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey. George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, Kyle Juszczyk and Jordan Mason were all sidelined against the Saints.

With key piece after key piece missing all around him, what was the argument for Purdy to play not just one, but multiple series in a meaningless preseason contest —  a question Kyle Shanahan will likely have to answer.

With nothing to prove coming off an MVP finalist season, Purdy is the center of San Francisco’s offense on a team that’s attempting to get back to the Super Bowl. Putting him under center in a preseason game against a tough defense without his supporting cast is a questionable judgment.

While an ugly stint in the preseason should likely be forgotten about by the time the 49ers suit up for their regular season opener against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, it’s safe to say Purdy should’ve joined the rest of his Pro Bowl-caliber teammates on the sideline on Sunday against the Saints.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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