Early speculation points to the video clip below of rookie cornerback Deommodore Lenior going against wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr. as the culprit. The video prompted Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders to write, "Somebody call the police because that was AGGRAVATED ASSAULT" via Twitter.
The drills were supposed to be non-contact.
While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't indicate that the team was forced to cancel any portion of the offseason program. The 49ers were scheduled to hold a mandatory minicamp next week, but Shanahan opted to cancel the remaining practices because of concerns over injuries. On Monday, San Francisco lost offensive lineman Justin Skule and safety Tarvarius Moore to serious injuries. However, rookies were expected to remain at the facility over the next week to get extra instructional work.
That won't happen now.
"We're still going to keep the rookies around here for a little bit, some more than others," Shanahan said. "I kind of decided a while ago we weren't going to do minicamp. You know, I rarely do minicamp when we get nine OTAs in. We usually do one practice, and then we have like a team-building thing throughout that. And kind of decided earlier in this, if we could get our OTAs in, I wasn't going to keep them for minicamp because it's a week longer than usual."
Added Shanahan: "You know, my plan was to get eight (practices). And I was going to surprise them on Thursday and take everyone bowling. But after our seventh practice, with those two injuries and just the aura it gave to it, I wasn't going to come back and do one more just to do one more. So I surprised them on day eight instead of day nine."
The 49ers are on break until training camp at the end of July. Players will return to Santa Clara on July 27 and return to the practice field on July 31.
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers rookie De'Zhaun Stribling returns to practice after hamstring setback
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling returned to practice on Thursday after missing time during training camp with hamstring tightness. Rookie D' Zhaun Stribling is in uniform for today's practice.— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 6, 2026 The return is a... -
49ers training camp Day 8: Brock Purdy stays hot, rookie DT turning heads, and other quick hits
The San Francisco 49ers returned to the practice field Thursday with a lengthy injury list, but Brock Purdy continued to provide plenty of reasons for optimism while a rookie defender continued building momentum. Here are the quick hits from Day 8 of training camp. The 49ers... -
49ers rookie Romello Height learning from Nick Bosa after admiring him from afar
Defensive end Romello Height has long admired San Francisco 49ers star pass rusher Nick Bosa, studying his technique and incorporating elements of Bosa's game into his own. Now, the third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft is not only Bosa's teammate but also eager to forge a... -
49ers rookie De'Zhaun Stribling reveals what he's learning from Mike Evans, veteran teammates
When the San Francisco 49ers selected wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the moment came sooner than he expected. Stribling was preparing for a gathering with family and friends in Hawaii when he received the life-changing...