In San Francisco, the early read on Raheem Morris’ defense is clear: the 49ers think they’ve got a unit that can make life miserable for quarterbacks, and Brock Purdy is already feeling it from the other side.
Purdy said the new defensive coordinator has tightened things up in the secondary and layered in enough variety to keep the offense guessing. “Raheem’s done a good job of coaching up our DBs in terms of being sticky … and that match coverage, it’s real,” Purdy said, via The Athletic.
“They’ve done a really good job with it. I think we have the right personnel on the defense to play that kind of defense.”
Fred Warner echoed that sentiment, pointing to the way Morris is mixing five-man fronts with changing coverages. The result, Warner said, is an offense that can’t simply line up and know what’s coming.
“Now we’re having some of those five-down looks, different coverages and things of that sort,” Warner said. “It’s new for all of us.
We’ve all got to learn on my end, and obviously for them, they can’t just be like, ‘Oh, I know exactly what they’re running and let’s just book it up.’”
Morris, for his part, made it clear he isn’t trying to bolt on a system that ignores what the 49ers already have. He said the goal is to build around the roster and the culture in place.
“The guys that we have on our roster are just obsessed,” Morris said. “They crave more information, they crave energy, they crave the ability to go out there and learn every single day.
… This is not my defense. This is the defense we’re building that’s built for the Niners and what we’ve already had in place, what we’ve done or what they’ve done, what I want to be a part of and move forward from there.”
That approach has also included a close look at Nick Bosa, who is working back from a knee injury. Morris said the edge rusher has stood out even while being limited.
“To watch that guy and what he’s able to do, the amount of power he plays with, the speed, the presence, he’s one of the calmest players I’ve ever been around in my life,” Morris said. “And he brings this certain ease and a certain ability to move just effortlessly every single day.
He’s limited and working his way back, but he looks excellent. That’s always a good time for us.”
Morris also explained why the defense is leaning into both four-man and five-man fronts. In his view, the mix gives San Francisco more control over what the offense sees and opens up more options in coverage.
“You’re just talking about different ways to dictate what you want on offense,” he said. “You get certain runs in a four-down front that you know you’re going to get, and you got to fit up.
You get certain runs in the five-down front that you know you’ve got to fit up. You open up more things in the passing game when you go to the five-man front.
You create some versatility with some different people. So, to be able to mix those things in, like most of the league’s doing right now, is a lot of fun.”
Purdy said the disguises are doing more than just helping the 49ers defense; they’re giving the offense valuable reps against the kinds of looks it will see elsewhere. “He gives us all these different kinds of looks, and the shell’s always changing,” Purdy said.
“Raheem’s done a good job with trying to disguise things against the quarterback, but also the techniques that the DBs are playing with now, too. I feel like this is the kind of stuff that we’re starting to see more in the NFL.
And so it gives us good reps. You’ve got to win your one-on-one matchups.
… It’s been good work on both sides of the ball.”
Shanahan said there’s no alarm surrounding Bosa’s absence from the last three practices. “No.
He was doing great then got sore going through individuals. No concern something happened or a setback.
We’ll evaluate why the soreness happened.”
In Arizona, Josh Sweat is still waiting to get on the practice field. The Cardinals linebacker remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list as he continues rehabbing a knee injury, and Mike LaFleur said the team is giving him more time to get right.
“Still going through his process of making sure that Josh Sweat is where he needs to be and how he feels where he needs to be to be at his best. So, progressing good.
I know what Monti said to you. My message isn’t any different.
He’s in a good spot right now, but we just need a little bit more time.”
Asked whether Sweat is facing a three-week ramp-up to be ready for Week 1, LaFleur didn’t lock into that timeline. Instead, he said the linebacker needs to reach the point where he’s comfortable and stressed that the team likes where the recovery is headed.
“Yeah. I mean, there’s different parts of injuries and stuff like that that, you know, are…and I shouldn’t even call it injuries…but just getting himself right to be ready to roll.
So, again, I like where he’s at. I know everyone probably is not believing me on that one, but again, I only try to speak truth to you guys.”
In Other News...
Jacoby Brissett Is Setting The Tone For Arizonas New Era
With Mike LaFleur now installed as the Cardinals head coach for the 2026 season, Arizona is already starting to define what this next chapter will look like on offense. Jacoby Brissett, the teams confirmed starter, has been at the center of that conversation after signing a new contract and beginning to mesh with LaFleurs approach, giving the franchise a veteran voice as it works through the early stages of the transition.
Brissett has pointed to differences in LaFleurs offensive structure and sounds encouraged by the way their connection is developing. For a team that expects him to lead the way in Week 1 against the Chargers, that kind of early alignment matters, especially when a new coach and quarterback are trying to build a foundation before the season starts to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Sweat Leaves Cardinals Facing An Awkward Pass Rush Question
Josh Sweat has yet to take part in any offseason work for Arizona, and his absence has become one of the quieter but more awkward storylines around the Cardinals pass rush. The outside linebacker remains on the physically unable to perform list because of a knee injury, leaving the team to navigate camp without one of its most intriguing defensive additions on the field.
General manager Monti Ossenfort tried to calm the temperature around the situation, saying the Cardinals are not looking to move Sweat and that they remain excited about what he can bring going forward. He stopped short of swatting away the trade-request chatter, though, calling that kind of talk part of the NFL landscape, which leaves Arizona in the familiar spot of waiting for health and clarity before it can feel fully settled about a key piece up front. [Read more 🡒]
Mike LaFleur Has Cardinals Camp Believing This Start Could Be Different
By the end of his first training camp leading the Cardinals, Mike LaFleur had already left a clear imprint on how things are run in Arizona. The practices carried some of the structure and pace he picked up during his time with the Rams, and the early returns were encouraging enough to give the building a different feel. The team competed hard, and there was visible progress as the offense worked through the early stages of installation.
Monti Ossenfort was quick to praise LaFleurs overall plan and the way he has kept the focus on the roster as a whole, not just the flash points. There is still plenty to clean up, as there always is in camp, but the bigger takeaway is that the Cardinals believe this start can be different from the usual summer optimism. Whether that carries into the season will come later, but the foundation LaFleur laid in camp at least gave the organization a reason to think about what comes next with more confidence. [Read more 🡒]