The 49ers head into tonight’s preseason game against the Chargers with a few questions still hanging around camp, and not all of them are small ones. After a spirited joint practice with Jim Harbaugh’s team, San Francisco came away without any serious injuries and now moves into a game where it plans to play “ some starters.” Exactly which starters, and for how long, is still unclear, but the clock is ticking toward cutdown day.
One of the biggest issues remains right in the middle of the offensive line. Robert Jones, Connor Colby, and Carver Willis have all gotten work at left guard during camp, yet reports say the 49ers still aren’t close to naming a starter.
Nobody has really seized the job, either. That leaves the team in a spot where simply picking one player would help with continuity, but wouldn’t necessarily solve the larger problem.
The question now is whether San Francisco keeps working from within, looks for help through a trade, or waits until cutdown day to add a veteran.
Safety is another spot that’s suddenly under the microscope. The positive buzz from the joint practice and the preseason game against the Titans has faded after a few clips from the Chargers work.
That’s enough to make the position look shaky again, and it raises the possibility that Ji’Ayir Brown and Marques Sigle will see plenty of action tonight as the 49ers try to sort things out. The cornerbacks have drawn solid reviews, but the two safety jobs are still unsettled, and this game could do a lot to either calm nerves or stir them up further.
The receiver competition also deserves attention, especially with one name already out of the mix tonight. Mike Evans will not play after dealing with a small injury in the joint practice.
Christian Kirk still hasn’t been seen, though Kyle Shanahan said how much he loves Kirk. If Kirk can’t get on the field, the point is hard to miss.
That leaves Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, and Will Pauling battling for two spots after Demarcus Robinson and Deebo Samuel. Special teams will matter for whoever wins out.
Cowing feels like the player in the most immediate danger, while Watkins boosted his case with a strong preseason opener. Pauling has earned positive reviews, but he may still be headed for the practice squad unless he stands out tonight.
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Christian Kirks arrival was supposed to give the 49ers another experienced option in a receiver room that already has plenty of names to sort through, with Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel and rookie DeZhaun Stribling all in the mix. Instead, Kirk has been dealing with a calf strain since training camp opened, and he has not been on the practice field recently, leaving his status as one of the more practical roster questions in camp.
For a team already weighing how to manage a crowded depth chart, the next move on Kirk could matter as much as the signing itself. San Francisco is looking at ways to keep him around without burning a roster spot while he recovers, and the decision it makes in the coming days could shape how the receiver group is organized when the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
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For players in that spot, preseason work is about more than looking sharp in camp drills. It is about carrying practice momentum into a game setting, showing they can handle real speed and real pressure, and giving the coaching staff a clearer picture before roster decisions get tighter. Against Los Angeles, each of those six has something riding on every snap. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Backfield Gets Shaken Up Again With McCaffrey Still Out
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With Christian McCaffrey still unavailable for the upcoming game, the 49ers are planning to spread the load among Kaelon Black, Sincere McCormick, Zamir White, and Herbert. It leaves the team piecing together a rotation on the fly, and the bigger question is how quickly the new mix can settle in before the next round of roster movement arrives. [Read more 🡒]