The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up their fifth training camp practice (second padded) on Saturday, and it was a day filled with both encouraging developments and some concerning injury news. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from day five:
Ricky Pearsall placed on season-ending IR
The 49ers placed wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on season-ending injured reserve due to his ongoing PCL issues. It appears surgery could be the next step for the young receiver. Pearsall was hoping things would be different, in terms of health, this season. But the lingering knee issue will now keep him sidelined for the entire 2026 season.
More injury news
Rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling did not practice due to what the team is calling hamstring tightness. Christian Kirk remains sidelined, as well. Defensive end Cam Sample was also not practicing due to a knee issue, according to reports.
The biggest concern of the day, however, came when rookie defensive end Mikail Kamara was carted off the field with a leg injury. The injury is believed to involve his knee, though the team has yet to provide an official diagnosis.
Cam Inman noted that the 49ers were also without several other defensive linemen during team drills. "49ers rookie DE Mikail Kamara carted off with potential leg injury," Inman wrote. "Team drills also missing D-ends Nick Bosa (per plan so far in ACL comeback), Mykel Williams (PUP), Keion White (adductor; did individuals), Cam Sample (knee), AND Romello Height (elbow)." That's a lot of defensive line depth missing from the field.
Nick Wagoner also reported that rookie running back Kaelon Black was moving a bit slowly midway through team drills and did not take any more reps the rest of the way. It was a rough day for some of the 49ers' rookies, with Kamara being carted off, while Stribling and Height were out, and Black potentially having issues that limited their participation.
Deebo Samuel is back
The best news of the day was seeing Deebo Samuel back on the practice field. Samuel signed his contract this morning and immediately got back to work, catching passes for the 49ers. He also looks to be in excellent shape, which is certainly a good thing for San Francisco. A motivated and in-shape Deebo Samuel is a problem for opposing defenses.
Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris knows that all too well. "I hated him for so long. It's so nice to have him back in a friendly atmosphere," Morris told reporters. "He's the ultimate piece that you can move around because you have to gameplan because of his ability to run the football, the ability to line up at receiver. His ability to take screens. His ability on special teams. He's so versatile."
That's exactly what makes Samuel such a valuable weapon. The 49ers can line him up virtually anywhere and force defenses to account for him in multiple ways. According to Brad Graham, Samuel had a couple of notable moments during one-on-ones: "Deebo Samuel wins on slant in 1v1 but ball slightly behind and can't bring it in. Deebo comes back with an out route vs Stout for W in 1v1."
Graham also noted that Samuel has been the 49ers' most electric playmaker during the team period. Not a bad way to make your return.
Undrafted WR Wesley Grimes starting to impress
One of today's biggest surprises was hearing that undrafted rookie wide receiver Wesley Grimes is making some noise. This is especially important considering the thinning of the wide receiver room.
Graham highlighted Grimes once again, saying: "I spoke about WR Wesley Grimes in my camp breakdown yesterday and he continues to impress. Two nice wins in 1v1, with a go-ball win for a touchdown. He's my favorite sleeper of training camp so far."
It's still early, but Grimes is doing everything he can to make sure his name stays in the conversation. Training camp performances don't always translate to regular-season success, but when a young receiver consistently makes plays and catches the attention of people watching every practice, it's worth paying attention. Grimes is becoming one of the more intriguing players to watch as camp continues.
Deommodore Lenoir and Jack Jones keep making plays
The 49ers also got some strong performances from their cornerbacks today. OurSF49ers highlighted Deommodore Lenoir, who had a very active day and showed off some sticky coverage with multiple pass breakups. Lenoir reportedly got the best of Mike Evans on one rep, breaking up a pass over the middle. He also recorded another PBU on a pass intended for Deebo Samuel.
Jack Jones was active once again, continuing to showcase his playmaking ability throughout training camp. Jones recorded two pass breakups, including an impressive play on a deep pass intended for Jordan Watkins. After the play, Jones was clearly feeling good about his performance. That's exactly the kind of competitiveness the 49ers are looking for from their cornerbacks.
Unfortunately, the injury news overshadowed some of the optimism from practice. This list of wounded is growing. At least the 49ers are off tomorrow.
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