Jordan James is already losing time at 49ers training camp, and this one comes with a bizarre twist: Fred Warner is the reason.
James fractured his ribs on Day 2 of camp, an injury that stands out even more because the 49ers weren’t in pads and weren’t supposed to be making contact. The explanation, though, comes down to one of Warner’s trademark habits. When James carried the ball into the second level, Warner attacked the play the way he often does in games, going after the ball and trying to punch it loose.
Acting head coach Chris Foerster described it this way: “It was a combination of the punch out. It’s the punch out with the spin.
It's one of those perfect storms,” said acting head coach Chris Foerster. “You punch out, you hit the ball.
They don't miss the ball very much. But if all of a sudden when he goes to the ball, you move, all of a sudden something else is there.”
Warner’s strip attempts are part of what makes him so dangerous on defense, but in this setting it came at a cost. Instead of knocking the ball free, he caught James in the ribs and left the running back sidelined for what appears to be a few weeks.
That’s a tough break for James, who had gotten off to a solid start on Day 1 and was trying to build momentum in a camp battle with rookie Kaelon Black. Missing practice time now puts him behind, and it likely opens the door for Black to move ahead as the primary backup to Christian McCaffrey.
There’s also the obvious question of whether this kind of play belongs in a no-pads practice at all. Warner’s aggressiveness is part of his game, and nobody’s asking him to stop being who he is. But with only four practices without pads, it’s fair to wonder why he couldn’t wait.
James, meanwhile, pays the price. And for a player trying to carve out a role, that’s the kind of setback that can change the whole shape of camp.
In Other News...
49ers Tight End Battle Suddenly Feels Bigger Than Brayden Willis
The 49ers tight end picture has taken on a little more weight with George Kittle still working back from the torn Achilles he suffered in the playoffs last January. San Francisco is headed toward a regular-season opener in Melbourne, Australia, and Kittles status for that game remains one of the more important health questions hanging over the roster as camp and preseason decisions start to come into focus.
Brayden Willis sits squarely in the middle of that uncertainty. The seventh-round pick has not made much of an impact so far, he is behind several other tight ends on the depth chart and most of his value has come on special teams. For a player trying to hang onto a 53-man spot, the path gets a lot steeper if the 49ers get Kittle back in time. [Read more 🡒]
Deebo Samuel Reunion Pushes 49ers Into Rare NFL Territory
Deebo Samuel is back in the Bay Area after the 49ers brought him in on a one-year deal, reuniting the wide receiver with the franchise that drafted him and watched him become one of its most recognizable offensive pieces over six seasons. After a year away with the Washington Commanders, Samuel returns to a familiar setting and a roster that has leaned for years on veteran skill talent to keep its offense versatile and difficult to defend.
The reunion also puts San Francisco in a striking bit of NFL company, with the possibility of opening a game with five non-quarterback skill players who are 30 or older. It is the kind of roster wrinkle that speaks to where the 49ers are in their competitive window, trying to squeeze one more productive stretch out of a core that has already carried them deep into multiple seasons and now has Samuel back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Need Alfred Collins To Deliver On A Crucial Year 2
The 49ers got a useful camp update when defensive tackle Alfred Collins was officially activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list and joined the team for its first padded practice of the second training camp session. Collins had been working his way back from a shoulder injury, and his return comes at a point when the team is beginning to sort out what it has along the defensive line and how the younger pieces fit into the bigger picture.
For San Francisco, Collins is one of the more important second-year players to watch because this is the stage where availability starts to matter as much as potential. General manager John Lynch had already signaled that Collins was expected back for this stretch of camp, so the next step is simply getting him through the work and seeing whether he can make up for the lost time. [Read more 🡒]