SANTA CLARA — Fans saw the 49ers on their home turf for the first time since January 2020, even though Covid precautions kept the soldout bleachers to a capacity of 600 to watch Wednesday’s first practice of training camp.
”It was awesome, even driving in and dabbing familiar guys out there. They were nervous but I wasn’t, I’m vaccinated,” Kyle Shanahan said.
No interaction was allowed between players and fans because of health protocols, but once the 80-minute practice ended, tight end George Kittle jogged over to applaud fans, and vice versa.
“We hadn’t seen fans in a while so it was great to see,” wide receiver Deebo Samuel said.
Samuel also commended how quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance fared in the first practice. As correct as Samuel was, Shanahan couched the glowing reviews.
“We’ll just crown everybody today, before I’ve watched the tape and after five reps,” Shanahan quipped.
Lance was present after signing his contract (four years, $34.1 million) a couple hours before the morning session, a day after Shanahan remained steadfast that Garoppolo is their starting quarterback and no open competition awaits against Lance.
#49ers Fred Warner on having fans watch them again:
“From the moment I stepped out and saw fans and got them going, it was fun. I look forward to full stadiums again. It was strange without them last year.” pic.twitter.com/MjEdnuM22l— Cam Inman (@CamInman) July 28, 2021
Defensive ends Nick Bosa (knee) and Dee Ford (back) weren’t participating in team drills but they looked healthy and active after not starting camp on injury lists after missing almost all of last season.
That helped fuel optimism about a second Super Bowl run in three seasons.
Here are initial observations from Wednesday’s practice, which was to run from about 10:15 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.:
QB WATCH
Garoppolo looked in as control as ever, as to be expected entering his fourth camp. This practice was more about Lance’s debut — you only get one first impression at camp.
Lance provided a dazzling highlight when he dropped a 40-yard pass to Samuel in stride along the left sideline against Dontae Johnsom, about an hour into practice and early in full-team drills.
“It was just a go route, the corner(back) sat, I looked up and the ball was placed perfectly,” Samuel said.
Kittle had the catch of the day when he jumped higher than Kai Nacua on the sideline on a 30-yard toss from Lance.
Wearing a black No. 5 jersey with black shorts and red leggings, Lance often took warmup snaps next to Garoppolo and threw darts to an array of receivers trying to make the roster, as well as starters Brandon Aiyuk and Samuel.
Lance’s first pass in 11-on-11 drills went off Aiyuk’s hands over the middle on a short route. Lance’s mobility showed later on rollouts as he rifled passes to tight end MyCole Pruitt.
Unofficial stats: Lance completed 7-of-10, Garoppolo 6-of-8.
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk complimented how both quarterbacks made off-schedule plays and how vital that is in today’s NFL.
JIMMY NOT SO G-RATED
Garoppolo’s ease and confidence extended off the field into his post-practice press conference, where he uncharacteristically invoked two swear words, though neither in a derogatory fashion.
One was in regards to last year’s ankle injury and how he dismissed it as (expletive) that all players battle through, and his other cuss words was in how (bleeping) improved wide receiver Mohamad Sanu looks compared to last year.
Garoppolo certainly isn’t planning to cuss out Lance but rather mentor him and accept how “this business is weird.”
“It’s not like I would ever hold something away from him, ‘I don’t want to tell him this,’ type of thing,” Garoppolo said. “When you let it happen organically, and that’s what we’ve done, it’s most natural and you can build a normal relationship between two people. I don’t want to draw a line or anything like that. But anything he needs, I’m willing to help him.”
PLAYER OF DAY
Aiyuk also made nice catches on throws from Garoppolo, including one on the boundary on a 10-yard throw and an acrobatic grab over the middle against first-string left cornerback Tim Harris Jr., who was filling in for Emmanuel Moseley.
“The trust factor between me and B, it’s been awesome, it really has,” Garoppolo said. “His body language, it allows me to anticipate throws. On the breakdown of the play, usually as a quarterback, you have to point them, but he broke literally when I broke. We escaped the pocket together. It was kind of weird.”
A groin injury limited Samuel in spring workouts two months ago. “He’s in a better spot, but time will tell,” Shanahan said.
BOSA, FORD RESURFACE
Nick Bosa and Dee Ford didn’t merely return to drills for the first time together since Week 1 last year. They looked happy, healthy and bursting with pent-up energy.
Bosa wore a sleeve over his surgically repaired left knee in which he tore his anterior cruciate ligament against the New York Jets. Ford, who’s been out with a mysterious back ailment, showed no signs of hindrance during warmup drills.
“Nick takes care of himself better than anyone I’ve been around,” Shanahan said. “The guy has a one-track mind and it’s awesome. Now it’s just about knowing how much time it’s been since the injury.
“Him moving and looking like the player he is, it isn’t the issue. It’s about building him up the right way, so when he’s out there with 22 people, he can react and feel safe if he gets caught in an awkward position. We’ll take our time with that and be smart.”
With position coach Kris Kocurek hollering and raising thr energy level, Bosa took on Raiders castoff Arden Key. This was Week 1 noise and power and speed. Bosa looks recovered, and Shanahan said it’s just a matter of building up his knee’s stamina.
As for Ford, Shanahan noted: “I’ve been with him and seen the history. We have to be smart with it and knowing the sensitivity of the injury. If things work out, it’s going to be a hell of a deal for him and the Niners.”
KINLAW RESTS KNEE
Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw did not take part in full-team drills as a precaution with his knee, which underwent surgery in January and needed to be drained last month because of swelling, Shanahan said. Kinlaw did participate in defensive line warups. Lining up with the starting defensive line were Arik Armstead, D.J. Jones, Kevin Givens and Samson Ebukam.
JALEN HURD FIT
For the first time since tearing an ACL at the start of last year’s camp, Jalen Hurd suited up, caught passes and did special-teams drills. All looked encouraging. His 6-foot-5 frame looked slimmer and he wore No. 14, as opposed to No. 17 from his two-touchdown exhibition debut in 2018. Hurd left with a strength coach to do individual conditioning as team drills began, as expected.
SANU SHOWING WELL
Sanu indeed looks past a high ankle injury that hindered him into last season. He made a boundary catch on a 10-yard pass from Garoppolo. ”He looks like the guy I remember (from the 2016 Atlanta Falcons) and not the guy from the week and a half or however long we had him last year,” Shanahan said.
COVID CONCERNS
Although over 90 percent of the players are vaccinated, safety Jaquiski Tartt and wide receiver Jauan Jennings were added to the COVID-19 reserve list before practice. Moseley was put on that list Tuesday.
Unvaccinated players must wear masks, and those in them during warmups were tight ends Charlie Woerner and MyCole Pruitt, Sanu and first-string right guard Daniel Brunskill.
PUNT RETURN OPTIONS
The initial players returning punts were Aiyuk, Sanu, Raheem Mostert, Richie James, Travis Benjamin and River Cracraft.
WEATHER REPORT
Practice took place under mostly sunny skies and 75 degrees with a 47 air-quality index that was refreshing compared to recent summers amid smoke from wild fires.
