The 49ers’ preseason opener against the Titans wasn’t just about the final score. San Francisco got some encouraging flashes from its rookies, but the game also put a handful of roster issues right under the spotlight - and not many of them came with easy answers.
Left guard looks like a real mess, the run game still has questions, and the 49ers may already be staring at a decision on Kurtis Rourke after the second-year quarterback was knocked out with a rib injury. Add in a shaky situation at linebacker and no obvious answer in the return game, and Week 1 of the preseason gave the Niners plenty to chew on.
The biggest concern might be the spot next to Trent Williams and Jake Brendel. San Francisco opened camp by giving second-year pro Connor Colby the first-team job, but he has since been bumped in favor of veteran Robert Jones, who didn’t look particularly sharp against Tennessee either. Carver Willis, a day-three rookie, is in the mix too, but unless he makes a huge jump in the next few weeks, the 49ers are looking at a thin set of options on the left side of the line.
That matters even more because the run game didn’t do much to ease the anxiety. Sure, things should look different once the starters and Christian McCaffrey are on the field, but the backup unit didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Sincere McCormick, Patrick Taylor Jr. and Khalil Herbert were regularly hit before they could get going, and the offense finished at a measley 3 yards per carry. With the way the ground game struggled in a similar setup a year ago, there’s not much reason to assume improvement is automatic in 2026.
There’s also a growing concern at linebacker with Nick Martin. A year after being drafted in the third round, Martin has already seen his chances at the strong-side job slip away, and rookie Jaden Dugger’s emergence only makes the path tougher. Martin did lead the team with eight tackles, but he still looked unsure at times, and the fact he was still on the field late into the second half suggests he’s not exactly locked into the roster.
Rourke’s night was a mixed bag that ended on a brutal note. Before the injury, he was efficient, going 12-of-14 for 101 yards, which at least points to a capable QB3 behind Brock Purdy and Mac Jones.
But the quarterback draw called inside the 5-yard line left him with a potentially serious rib injury, and he was later sent to the hospital. The timetable remains unclear, but it would make sense if he doesn’t play again in the final two preseason games.
At that point, San Francisco may have to decide whether he’s the right third-string option without much more tape to work with.
Then there’s the return game, where the 49ers don’t seem to have a clean answer. Skyy Moore handled both kick and punt returns well last season, but he’s gone in free agency.
Deebo Samuel could be the kickoff option, though that doesn’t exactly solve everything. On punts, the team gave rookie wideout Will Pauling plenty of chances Thursday night - six combined between kick and punt returns - but Pauling doesn’t appear to have much of a path to the 53-man roster because of the depth ahead of him.
That leaves San Francisco in a spot where it may still be searching for a return specialist as the regular season approaches.
In Other News...
Mac Jones Gets A Real 49ers Test Right Away
The 49ers are expected to keep many of their starters on the sideline in the preseason meeting with the Titans, which should leave Mac Jones with a meaningful workload under center. For a backup quarterback trying to make the most of limited snaps, that kind of opportunity matters, especially when it comes against a Tennessee team that plans to play a good portion of its top early-down personnel.
Jones will not just be managing a routine preseason outing, either. The matchup gives him a chance to put useful film on tape against a tougher-than-usual exhibition opponent, something that can still carry weight well beyond August for a quarterback set to hit free agency in 2027. In a league where every clean series and sharp throw can shape perception, this one has a little more on the line than the box score will show. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Suddenly Have Two Injury Concerns Fans Need To Watch
Kyle Shanahans injury report after the preseason opener gave the 49ers a little more to monitor than they would prefer this early in camp. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke exited with a rib injury, and the team was cautious enough to send him to the hospital for evaluation, although the initial X-rays came back negative. It was the sort of checkup that can calm some fears while still leaving the door open for more concern as the week unfolds.
Cornerback Nate Hobbs added to that uneasy feel when he went down with a groin injury during joint practice, another reminder that the preseason can change a depth chart in a hurry. Hobbs is expected to miss a few weeks, and he is not the only player dealing with a health issue, with Jack Jones, Nick Martin and Marques Sigle also on the injury list. For a team trying to sort out roles and preserve momentum, the main question now is how many of these absences linger into the start of the season. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Preseason Opener Put Two Early Depth Concerns In Focus
The preseason opener in Tennessee offered the 49ers an early look at how their depth is holding up while several key players stayed out of uniform. It was the first real chance for the coaching staff to sort through backups, young players and fringe roster hopefuls in a game setting, with the live updates tracking the kind of miscues, penalties and flashes that tend to shape August evaluations more than the scoreboard does.
For San Francisco, the most useful part of the night may have been seeing where the thin spots show up when the rotations get deeper and the pace quickens. The play-by-play told a story of a team still sorting out its second unit on both sides of the ball, and the kind of early preseason test that can clarify which positions need the most attention before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]