EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - The biggest headline from the Chargers’ joint practice with the 49ers on Tuesday was Justin Herbert carving up San Francisco’s defense, and he didn’t exactly hide the good vibes afterward either. Herbert was later seen on the field holding hands with his fiancée Madison Beer as the pair went over to greet Christian McCaffrey and Olivia Culpo.
Herbert’s work against the 49ers was the kind of session that makes people start talking about a quarterback taking another step. The Chargers got the better of San Francisco in the competitive work, and Herbert looked comfortable throughout.
McCaffrey, meanwhile, was nowhere to be found on the field. He sat out because of what Kyle Shanahan has called “tightness.” Shanahan again refused to get into specifics on the issue, but he did push back hard on the idea that McCaffrey’s absence had anything to do with contract business after a Pro Football Talk theory started circulating online.
“They do make a lot of assumptions and that would be one that they’re wrong on,” Shanahan said.
Shanahan also declined to give a timetable for McCaffrey’s return, and he didn’t say exactly where the tightness is. What he did say was that McCaffrey would have been on the field if Tuesday’s work had been a regular-season game.
Even without McCaffrey, the 49ers got some useful run from third-round rookie Kaelon Black, who broke off a few long runs against the Chargers. Deebo Samuel Sr. also popped up in the backfield and got a few rushing chances, which gave the practice a familiar look for anyone who remembers his 2021 usage, when he piled up 59 carries for 365 yards and eight touchdowns and earned All-Pro honors.
The Chargers’ offense had more than just Herbert going for it. Rookie running back Hampton, last year’s first-round pick, was a problem between the tackles and in the passing game.
He broke tackles up the middle, sent defenders backward and added a long catch-and-run near the right sideline. With new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel in place, Hampton looks like he’s going to be a heavy part of the plan in 2026.
But the day wasn’t all clean for Los Angeles. Center Tyler Biadasz went down early and was carted off after two trainers helped him onto the cart, and teammates gathered around him. Wide receiver Quentin Johnston and edge rusher Kyle Kennard also got hurt later in practice, though Johnston did make an attempt to return.
Biadasz, who signed a three-year, $30 million deal in the offseason, was brought in to stabilize the interior of the line. If he misses time, the Chargers may have to lean on rookie second-rounder Jake Slaughter, who was also in the mix for the left guard job. That only adds to the concern, especially with left tackle Rashawn Slater having missed half of camp because of injury.
San Francisco also had its own injury-related concern on the offensive side when Mike Evans made several plays before exiting early to ice his left tackle. He appeared to tweak it on his first catch of the day after coming up limping. Evans, who turns 33 in a few days, has dealt with injuries, but when he’s on the field he still looks like he can make things happen.
The 49ers also saw promising flashes from rookie De’Zhaun Stribling, who scored a few touchdowns in red-zone work. With Evans, Samuel and Stribling, this year’s second-round pick, San Francisco at least has the makings of a receiving group that can do damage once the health picture clears up.
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