SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It was a slow build. Christian McCaffrey took a shot from a linebacker early in Friday’s practice, then later was hit low during a run up the middle.
When the running back made a contested catch on the sideline, he reacted with fist pumps befitting a third-down conversion in November.
Finally, as the San Francisco 49ers’ first padded training camp practice came to a close, McCaffrey flung the ball at linebacker Dre Greenlaw after a catch and tackle, and some shoving ensued. Right after that, linebacker Fred Warner and tight end Jake Tonges got into it, and another scrum formed.
No punches were thrown, and the 49ers seemed to walk the line of training-camp intensity and pseudo-violence perfectly.
“When you get guys competitive, it doesn’t matter if it’s a veteran or leader — in competitive situations, fuses get lit. Guys are trying to set the tempo and tone,” said assistant head coach Chris Foerster, who is standing in for injured head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“I don’t think it’s anything more than a Day 1 issue.”
Maybe there are some residual sore feelings from the injury running back Jordan James suffered on the second day of training camp. Foerster said the team believes James’ ribs were cracked from Warner punching at the football and James spinning to avoid a fumble.
When asked what it’s been like playing in front of Warner and Greenlaw, defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa chuckled.
“Fred has just a menacing aura,” he said.
Later, when asked his impressions of rookie running back Kaelon Black — a camp standout — Odighizuwa said he had no idea who that was.
Early standouts from 49ers training camp
Vic Tafur and Matt Barrows
Odds and ends
• The 49ers are “continuing to evaluate” Ricky Pearsall’s right knee, Foerster said, after the receiver aggravated the injury he originally suffered to his PCL in September. Surgery remains a possibility.
Dr. Eric Giza, chief of orthopedic foot and ankle surgery at UC Davis and head physician for the Sacramento Republic FC soccer team, said there’s better blood flow to the PCL than the ACL, and it often can heal on its own, which is the approach the 49ers initially took with Pearsall.
Still, if there’s enough trauma to the ligament, or if nearby areas like the meniscus are compromised, it can lead to chronic swelling or instability.
Giza said that the timeline for PCL surgery is like that for an ACL repair — that is, it would almost certainly cost Pearsall the 2026 season.
• Rookie second-round receiver De’Zhaun Stribling had another strong practice, as three quarterbacks — Brock Purdy, Mac Jones and Kurtis Rourke — targeted him throughout the 11-on-11 portions of practice. Those quarterbacks were 6 of 7 on attempts to Stribling, including throws from Purdy and Jones that were feathered over the first level of the defense into Stribling’s hands.
“I love him,” Foerster said after practice. “He’s very mature for a young guy.”
When asked if any young receivers have caught his eye, Mike Evans named Stribling. “Strib had a really good offseason and OTAs, and he’s continuing that in training camp.”
• Purdy was 10 of 15 in team situations and the only quarterback to throw a touchdown during a red zone session midway through practice. He did so on a high pass to the front corner of the end zone, where Evans outleaped nickel cornerback Upton Stout for the ball, corralling it with one hand initially and then securing it with both as Stout tried to pry the ball free.
Going up. Going Vertically.@Visa | #FTTB pic.twitter.com/Z4Fc899xUF
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) July 31, 2026
Jones might have been rusty at the start of training camp due to the shoulder soreness that kept him out of OTAs, but he appeared a lot more in sync Friday. He went 10 of 13 in team drills, including the longest play of the practice — a deep ball down the left sideline to Malik Turner in front of cornerback Darrell Luter Jr.
• The first day in pads meant it was also the first day for one-on-one drills between the defensive and offensive lines.
Standouts included defensive end Keion White, who rushed from both inside and the edge and won all but one of his matchups. A pair of undrafted rookies, defensive end Mikail Kamara and defensive tackle James Thompson Jr., also looked good.
Third-round rookie Romello Height had a tough draw in his first NFL one-on-one matchup. It came against perennial Pro Bowler Trent Williams, who absorbed the 239-pound pass rusher and didn’t have to do much work to win the rep. Later, however, it was Height’s turn to throttle an opponent. His dip move against fellow rookie Enrique Cruz Jr. had Cruz grasping at air and was the cleanest win by any defensive lineman in the drill.
Nick Bosa didn’t officially take any one-on-one snaps, but he did work off to the side against longtime teammate and sounding board Williams.
• Second-year player Alfred Collins (shoulder) was removed from the physically unable to perform list Friday and went through individual drills. Fellow defensive tackle C.J. West missed practice with an undisclosed injury that’s not believed to be serious. Sebastian Valdez and undrafted rookie Bryson Eason took turns lining up next to Odighizuwa with the first-string defense in team drills.
• Shanahan emerged from team headquarters earlier than normal and watched roughly an hour of the practice, his longest stint so far. He also stood at one point right next to the DJ’s loudspeaker. He seems to be making progress from the concussion he sustained in a July 14 car crash.
“When we watch tape after (practice), he (seems like) Kyle to me,” Foerster said. “He seems really good. I don’t know what happens afterward with recovery, but he’s pushing himself. I see Kyle being Kyle a whole lot right now.”
• The 49ers signed tight end Josiah Deguara and receiver Trenton Irwin to one-year deals. They waived defensive back Derrick Canteen and Tanner McLachlan. Deebo Samuel arrived in the Bay Area on Friday, and his signing will be official after he passes a physical.
“Deebo is my guy,” Evans said. “I met him at the Pro Bowl in 2021, 2022 or something like that. And we hit it off, man. We were hanging out all week, really cool guy. I love the way he plays the game. I think he’s gonna bring what he brung before to the team, that energy, that versatility. It’s a hell of a pickup for us.”
