SANTA CLARA -- Day 5 of 49ers training camp brought a little bit of everything: Deebo Samuel looking lighter and sharper, Jauan Jennings staying on the field longer than anyone else, and Brock Purdy having a rough stretch before Kyle Shanahan stepped in and steadied the offense.
Samuel, back practicing with the 49ers for the first time in two years, looked slimmer than he has in years and showed plenty of burst. He ripped off a 20-yard gain on a screen, added another 20 yards on a run to the perimeter, and picked up 20 more on a catch over the middle. He did drop a pass that was a little behind him during 1-on-1 work, but the bigger takeaway was that he was moving well.
Jauan Jennings kept extending his day on the practice field, staying longer than he had on the previous day and then all the way through the end. After the offense struggled for more than an hour, Shanahan appeared to start coaching it himself for the final two drives, and the starters responded with a touchdown by repeatedly attacking Renardo Green and Ji'Ayir Brown. Shanahan clearly is the MVP of the 49ers organization.
Jauan Jennings also showed why the 49ers value him so much on defense. He broke up two passes over the middle in 11-on-11 drills, first on a Kurtis Rourke throw intended for Mike Evans and then on a Brock Purdy pass aimed at Deebo Samuel. It’s easy to forget he’s one of the league’s best cornerbacks because he plays on a defense with zero pass rush, but the 49ers are lucky to have him.
The line of the day on the defensive front came from Odighizuwa, who blew past Dominick Puni during 11-on-11s to “sack” Purdy. The 49ers haven’t had an interior pass rusher that good since DeForest Buckner was on the team eight years ago. Now the team just needs Nick Bosa to stay healthy.
Bosa and Trent Williams did not take part in 11-on-11s or 1-on-1s, which makes sense given how important they are. The 49ers don’t want some undrafted free agent rolling the dice on an injury, so the two of them face each other in controlled 1-on-1 work instead. They aren’t going full speed, but they are helping each other sharpen up, and that’s a good use of the time.
In the receiver group, Jacob Cowing had one of his better moments by beating Upton Stout on a slot fade for a touchdown in 1-on-1s and then creating about five yards of separation on an out route against Jack Jones. Switching from No. 19 to No. 6 might be helping, because Cowing looked far more dangerous than usual. He still shouldn’t be written off.
Skyy Moore also flashed. He ran right by third-year cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. to haul in a deep touchdown during 1-on-1s.
Like De'Zhaun Stribling, Moore is big, fast and physical. The difference is that Moore is healthy right now, while Stribling missed practice with hamstring tightness.
That injury matters because Stribling had been productive. He’s not the best route-runner against man coverage, but he’s effective against zone when defenses are keying on Mike Evans and Christian McCaffrey.
With Samuel back and Stribling sidelined, the veteran is likely to slide ahead of him for now, even though Stribling is better than him. Roster politics always favor the elderly on the 49ers.
At quarterback, Kurtis Rourke got a rep with the starters and hit Mike Evans over the middle, only to see the pass broken up by Lenoir. That’s still a notable sign, though, because if Rourke is getting work with the first unit, the coaches clearly like what they’re seeing from him. The same can’t be said for Mac Jones, who continues to have a dreadful camp and is starting to lose reps to Rourke.
Purdy’s day started poorly. He was off target more than usual, including a low throw over the head of Kyle Juszczyk on a wheel route and another long ball meant for Christian McCaffrey.
Later, once Shanahan took over the offense, Purdy looked better. That didn’t exactly settle the debate around him, but it did line up with the idea that he seems to play better when the system is running the way it’s supposed to.
The defense had a few other shaky moments. Luke Farrell beat Ji'Ayir Brown for a touchdown on a move-the-ball period, and Brown’s inability to handle a tight end is a problem when the alternative at safety is Ashtyn Davis, who is even worse.
Renardo Green also gave up back-to-back completions to Demarcus Robinson and Jordan Watkins in another move-the-ball sequence. Green usually stays tight in coverage, but he almost never comes away with interceptions, which is why quarterbacks keep challenging him.
There was also bad news on the injury front. Ricky Pearsall is out for the season with the PCL injury he suffered in Week 4 last season.
The source of the problem was the team’s decision to have him rehab without surgery; that plan failed, and now he needs surgery and will miss the entire 2026 season. The 49ers wanted him to try to recover without a procedure, and the result was a costly mistake.
Up front, there was another rough showing from the backup tackle spot. The lineman playing left tackle with the reserves can’t block, whiffs often, and generally doesn’t get a hand on the defender he’s assigned to. The 49ers drafted him anyway, and the practice field isn’t making the decision look any better.
Overall, Day 5 belonged to the players who flashed speed, separation and control - and to Shanahan, who eventually had to take the wheel to get the offense moving. Purdy’s timing was uneven, Jones is sliding, and several young players are banged up. But Samuel looked like himself again, Jennings kept grinding, and the competition on both sides of the ball is already getting sharp.
In Other News...
49ers WR Changes Number Sparking Deebo Samuel Return Buzz
A small but telling jersey shuffle at 49ers camp has only added to the anticipation around Deebo Samuels return. Jacob Cowing has moved from No. 19 to No. 6, opening the door for Samuel to potentially reclaim the number he wore during his earlier run in San Francisco, a detail that instantly caught the attention of fans who have been watching for signs of how the wide receiver will fit back into the lineup.
Samuel wore No. 1 during his 2024 season and stint in Washington, so a switch back would bring him closer to the look he had in his first 49ers chapter. The same round of number changes also sent rookie Romello Height back to No. 94 after a brief stop at No. 58, which is now with veteran Quinton Bell, a reminder that even the smallest roster details can stir up a little buzz when a familiar star is involved. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Core Is Suddenly Carrying A Pressure Fans Can Feel
The 49ers enter 2026 carrying a familiar kind of weight, only heavier now because so much of it sits on the same veteran core. After bringing back Deebo Samuel and keeping other experienced pieces in place, San Francisco now has the oldest average roster in the NFL, a sign of both continuity and urgency as the franchise tries to stay in the championship hunt. It is the sort of roster construction that reflects confidence in proven names, but also leaves little room for mistakes as age becomes part of the conversation.
Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and George Kittle remain central to everything the 49ers want to do, yet each is also dealing with significant injuries, which only sharpens the concern around durability. For a team built to contend now, that reality matters because the window to chase another Super Bowl with this group is not endless. The question hanging over the season is whether this veteran-heavy core can hold together long enough to make one more run before the organization has to think about what comes next. [Read more 🡒]