The 49ers got a handful of familiar faces back on the practice field Saturday, and the biggest name among the group was second-year running back Jordan James.
James, who had been dealing with ribs, is back at practice after Kaelon Black’s preseason showing. During OTAs, it was James - not Black - who was taking the starter reps when Christian McCaffrey had an off day, so this backfield battle is still very much alive. The competition for the RB2 job is expected to stretch into the season.
San Francisco also had right guard Dominick Puni and defensive tackle CJ West back after both missed time because of a concussion. West still hasn’t appeared in the preseason.
On the injury front, rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling and veteran cornerback Deommodore Lenoir are both dealing with shoulder issues and were held out Saturday. The team is calling both players day-to-day.
The same goes for three players injured in Thursday’s game: Renardo Green (hamstring), Austen Pleasants (knee), and Nick Martin (hamstring) all sat out practice as well.
There was also a roster wrinkle involving the tight end group. According to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, the 49ers brought back undrafted free agent tight end Khalil Dinkins. No corresponding move has been announced to clear a spot for him.
That addition comes after San Francisco used five tight ends in Thursday’s preseason game: Bradyen Willis played 37 snaps, Hayden Rucci 29, Jake Tonges 18, Luke Farrell 13, and Josiaha Deguara 12.
Mike Evans was back on the field too after leaving Tuesday’s joint practice with tightness, which at least points in the right direction.
Raheem Morris is set to speak after Saturday’s practice, so more injury clarity may have to wait.
In Other News...
49ers Suddenly Have A Quiet Strength That Could Swing Close Games
Special teams rarely grab the spotlight in August, but the 49ers have spent this offseason making sure the phase is no longer an afterthought. Replacing Thomas Morstead with Corliss Waitman gave the punting job a new look, and the club also locked in Eddy Pieiro with an extension, signaling real confidence in the kicking game as the roster takes shape.
The early returns have been encouraging in preseason play, with Pieiro knocking through multiple field goals and Jacob Cowing flashing game-changing juice on an 83-yard punt return touchdown. The coverage unit has turned in its own strong moments, too, and under Brant Boyer the group has looked more reliable and more disruptive, the kind of quiet edge that can end up mattering most when games tighten in the fourth quarter. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Running Back Battle Just Got More Complicated Behind McCaffrey
Kaelon Black kept making a case for himself in the 49ers preseason work against the Chargers, finishing with 33 yards on eight carries and adding another layer to a backfield that already has plenty of moving parts behind Christian McCaffrey. For a team that always has to sort through the margins at running back, every clean rep matters in August, and Blacks showing gave San Francisco another rookie to evaluate as the roster picture starts to come into focus.
The broader rookie class has been part of that conversation too, with Jaden Dugger and Romello Height drawing notice as the 49ers continue to sort out who can stick. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris also weighed in on the defensive side of the rookie growth curve, while the latest injury notes were more encouraging overall, with Deommodore Lenoir and DeZhaun Stribling listed day-to-day and CJ West and Dominick Puni back after concussion issues. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Veteran Core Makes This Feel Like A Win-Now Season
The 49ers keep building around the same familiar backbone, and it is a veteran-heavy one. Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel and Fred Warner are still the names that make this roster feel dangerous, the kind of core that can carry a team deep into the season if it stays healthy and aligned.
But the age on that group also changes the conversation in a hurry. With so many of San Franciscos best players already on the other side of 30, the urgency is obvious, because championship windows do not stay open forever and the 49ers know the margin for error is shrinking. The talent is still there, but the pressure to turn it into a title feels more immediate now than it did even a year ago. [Read more 🡒]