The 49ers’ path to the 2026 season is already laid out, and the calendar starts moving fast in late July.
Rookies from this year’s draft class, along with any signed undrafted free agents, are already reporting to camp. That opening stretch is not full training, though. It works more like a one-week onboarding period, giving the newcomers time to get settled and learn the ropes before the veterans arrive.
That next wave comes on Saturday, July 25, when all veterans are due in. That group includes every player outside the rookie class, with returning 49ers and veteran free-agent additions joining the mix before full team work begins.
The first official practice is set for Sunday, July 26. From there, San Francisco has 10 designated open practice days scheduled through Sunday, August 16, giving Kyle Shanahan and his staff a long look at the roster before the real trimming starts and the 53-man decisions come into focus.
The 49ers also have a pair of joint practices on the schedule. On August 11, they’ll work against the Tennessee Titans, with Titans head coach Robert Saleh set to face San Francisco after spending last season in his second stint as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.
That connection between Saleh and Shanahan makes the setup pretty natural. Both sides get a chance to see something different before the preseason games begin.
Then on August 18, the 49ers will hold a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers, two days before the teams meet in preseason action.
After all that, the first regular season game arrives on September 10 against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
In Other News...
49ers Already Have A Few Rookies Fans May Regret Watching Closely
Training camp is about to put a few 49ers rookies under the microscope, but not all of them are walking into the same kind of spotlight. Some are already facing an uphill climb simply because of where they fit on the roster, while others are trying to show enough in a short window to make themselves more than just names on the practice field. For a team that has built a habit of squeezing value out of young players, the early read on this class is that patience may matter as much as raw talent.
Willis is one of the more interesting cases because his path appears tied to development as much as immediate opportunity, and Halton may be even tougher for fans to track once camp gets rolling. He could blend into the background behind other defensive linemen before preseason games give him a better chance to stand out, which leaves the real question centered on who can turn limited reps into a lasting impression before the roster picture starts to harden. [Read more 🡒]
The 49ers Offense Finally Has The One Thing It Lacked
For the first time in a while, the 49ers are heading into training camp without the usual noise around contract disputes or holdouts, and that alone gives the roster a cleaner runway. The bigger reason for optimism is the expected return of Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, which should restore some of the balance and depth that make this team so hard to play against when it is healthy.
On offense, the conversation is less about subtraction and more about finally adding the kind of help that was missing a year ago. San Franciscos wide receiver play never gave the unit enough juice, and the hope is that new pieces will change the equation by giving Brock Purdy more reliable answers and a more complete set of options. DeZhaun Stribling brings one kind of element, but the real question is whether the 49ers have found the kind of difference-maker that can turn efficiency into something more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Fans May Need To Reconsider This Questioned Draft Pick
DeZhaun Stribling drew the kind of immediate reaction that usually follows a draft pick San Francisco fans are still trying to sort out, but the early noise around him may not have told the full story. The 49ers took him in the 2026 NFL Draft, and while the selection landed with some skepticism at first, later reporting painted a more favorable picture of where he stood on boards around the league.
Striblings appeal goes beyond raw upside. Evaluators have pointed to his blocking, speed and fit in an offense that can make use of those traits, and there is already some belief he could carve out a real role sooner rather than later. With a path that may open because of injuries and uncertainty at receiver, he has started to look less like a questionable pickup and more like the kind of sleeper who can force his way into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]