The San Francisco 49ers got a much different test Tuesday as they held a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers, and there were plenty of storylines to come out of the session. There were good things and "not so good" things from practice. Let's take a look at some quick hits.
Black, White and Robinson return
The 49ers got a few players back in pads. Running back Kaelon Black and defensive lineman Keion White, both dealing with adductor injuries, returned to practice. Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson also returned after missing one practice.
White was limited to only part of the practice, but Black looked particularly good in his return. Matt Barrows of The Athletic noted that Black had "a couple of big runs early" and added that "he doesn't look like someone who's missed the last couple of weeks."
Secondary struggles against Herbert
The 49ers' secondary had a rough day against Justin Herbert and the Chargers' passing attack. Ephesians Prysock and Ji'Ayir Brown were both beaten on deep completions, and Brown had another rough moment when Chargers running back Omarion Hampton ran him over.
Vic Tafur of The Athletic summed up the level of competition pretty well, writing that "Justin Herbert and his receivers [were] putting on a show against the 49ers defense," adding that it was "a big step up in competition" from last week's practice against Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans.
Former 49ers safety Donte Whitner certainly noticed. Whitner posted on X through the Grit Code Podcast: "I tried to warn everybody about Raheem Morris and whether he could build a top-10 defense from the ground up. Being the first one to say it doesn't make it hate. Sometimes it just means you saw it first."
Whitner also referenced Brown's comments about the new defense emphasizing "instinctual players," asking: "How are those instincts working against a top-tier QB?"
It's worth remembering that this was one practice against one of the better quarterbacks in football. Still, the secondary clearly has some cleaning up to do.
Purdy-Stribling connection continues
While the defense struggled at times, Brock Purdy looked good against the Chargers. The Purdy-to-De'Zhaun Stribling connection also continues to stand out. Barrows reported that Stribling had "a pair of TDs in the red zone." Stribling has been one of the more intriguing young receivers throughout camp, and his chemistry with Purdy continues to grow.
That could become particularly important, with Mike Evans still trying to catch up. Evans left practice after having his left foot/ankle wrapped and iced. Kyle Shanahan later said Evans left because of quad tightness. Evans has also missed a significant amount of practice, so it could take some time for him to develop the kind of timing with Purdy that the QB already has with Robinson, Deebo Samuel, and now Stribling.
Osa Odighizuwa dominates
It wasn't all bad for the 49ers' defense. Osa Odighizuwa was essentially unblockable during the practice. He was consistently disruptive and gave the Chargers' offensive line problems. Fred Warner also made an impact, forcing a fumble during the session.
So while the secondary had a difficult afternoon, there were some very positive performances up front.
Injury updates
Shanahan provided several updates after practice. He said Nick Bosa and Christian McCaffrey are both coming along well, with McCaffrey potentially returning to practice this week. The coach also said rookie defensive lineman Mykel Williams is a "long shot" to play in Week 1, although he continues to progress well.
The 49ers will also get a chance to see some of their starters in game action soon. Shanahan said several starters will play in Thursday's second preseason game against the Chargers, with Purdy potentially being among them.
There were definitely some concerns coming out of today's practice, particularly with the secondary trying to contain Herbert and the Chargers' receivers. But the 49ers also had several encouraging performances, particularly from Purdy, Stribling, Black, Odighizuwa, and Warner. The 49ers, however, got exactly what they wanted from a joint practice: a difficult test that exposed some things they need to fix before the games start counting.
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