Takeaways from Day 1 of 49ers training camp
The 49ers opened training camp Wednesday and took the practice field for the first time as preparations for the 2022 season begin.
It’s hard to make any sweeping declarations based on the first few days of camp, but there were still a handful of noteworthy things to come out of Wednesday’s session.
Jimmy Garoppolo out
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Garoppolo wasn’t on the field at all for practice, instead opting to go through his throwing program early in the morning, and then spending practice inside the weight room. It sounded like Garoppolo wouldn’t be at the facility at all for practice, but Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group reported Garoppolo was still working out while the team was on the field. He appears to be on his way out of San Francisco so the team isn’t requiring him to attend practice even though he’s on the roster. The plan for him was in question, and head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday provided some clarity before the first camp session.
Deebo Samuel holds in
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In a non-surprising move, Samuel is executing a hold-in while negotiations over his contract extension continues. That means he was on the field for practice, but not participating with his teammates. Instead he was on a side field going through conditioning work so he can hit the ground running once he does have a deal.
Trent Williams excused
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
It’s hard to miss Trent Williams’ absence from practice. San Francisco’s big left tackle was not in attendance for the opener. Multiple 49ers reporters after practice noted Williams received an excused absence for personal reasons. There’s no word on when he’ll return to action.
Rookie on the starting OL
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The 49ers had to play musical chairs on the offensive line with Williams out. Colton McKivitz, who was the swing tackle last year, rolled with the starting group at left tackle. The bigger surprise was rookie fourth-round pick Spencer Burford getting the first crack at right guard. That could be significant if the 49ers wind up having to put Daniel Brunskill at center, which leaves an opening at RG. San Francisco may also view Burford as a better RG regardless of what happens at center. There’s a long way to go, but a rookie getting the first first-team RG reps is interesting and worth keeping an eye on moving forward.
Strong safety starter
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Talanoa Hufanga got the first reps with the starting defense at strong safety. There figures to be some kind of battle for that job between him and Tarvarius Moore. Hufanga acquitted himself well in limited defensive action last year as a fifth-round pick from USC, and now has a shot to be the starting strong safety in his second season. This is another position worth watching to see how reps are divvied up. For now it appears Hufanga has the inside track for a starting job.
Azeez Al-Shaair injury scare
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The only injury scare during practice came in the second level when linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair went down momentarily following a collision with fullback Kyle Juszczyk. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan said Al-Shaair made his way back for team drills. Al-Shaair after practice said he just had the wind knocked out of him. He had a couple offseason surgeries so it’s scary any time he goes down, but all signs point to him being okay moving forward.
