SANTA CLARA – Emerging from the 2024 season’s disheartening dark cloud, the 49ers saw partly cloudy skies turn full-on sunny Wednesday as they held their first practice of training camp.
Look, it won’t stay sunny forever, as this franchise has some heavy lifting to do as it climbs out of the NFC West cellar.
And, on cue, the 49ers saw a promising player hurt before team drills — wide receiver Jacob Cowing (hamstring). The first practice of camp, however, always packs optimistic energy. These are my instant impressions:
D-LINE GRAVITATIONAL PULL
The engine of any 49ers transformation is the rebuilt defensive line. This 13-man unit is a work in progress and immediately seized my attention — in warmups and in the team drills during the hour-plus work.
This was the 49ers’ first practice with rookie defensive tackle Alfred Collins participating, and doing so with fellow newcomers Bryce Huff, Mykel Williams, and C.J. West.
“When you look on the field, you see NFL bodies that are impressive, which is a good thing,” Nick Bosa said. “Obviously we’re young. But just because nobody knows them know, if they play a couple of good games, the world will know about them. It’s exciting.”
Nothing was more intriguing than the sight of Williams, this year’s top draft pick, lining up on the interior next to Huff at left end. It’s not like they blew up a play but that combination could be game-changing, especially if Bosa is on the line, too.
Bosa said he’d be willing to get some work on the interior this camp, too, but he noted about Williams’ versatility: “Mykel is comfortable with it and I think we’re going to utilize him there.”
San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa (97) participates in drills during practice at the 49ers training camp at the practice facility at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
“We lost a lot of defensive linemen and had to add a lot. It was nice to get Mykel and Alfred out there together for the first time,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Their size jumps out. They’re trying to get back into this and learn a lot. I’m excited to go watch the tape on them.”
Bosa was kept out of team drills and simply observed, as did running back Christian McCaffrey and left tackle Trent Williams. Bosa still looks like an Adonis, but this season’s biggest myth — until proven otherwise — is that he will have a new and improved supporting cast.
Now Bosa is trying to seize a greater leadership role entering Year 7, saying: “I definitely need to take a leadership role. It’s one thing to work on my job and get better, which is all I’ve worried about. It’s another to bring everybody along with you. It’s something I’ve thought about and want to follow up on.”
Williams is recovered from the hamstring issue that limited him to individual conditioning the last two weeks of spring workouts. Huff, the trade acquisition from Super Bowl champion Philly, meshed immediately and was head-bobbing to the AC/DC music during warmups. Collins’ size (6-foot-5, 332 pounds) exudes NFL-ready talent but we have a month to gauge whether he or West can unseat Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens on the interior.
JAUAN JENNINGS AT WORK
Jauan Jennings looks in shape, looks physical, looks very present in his red No. 15 jersey. He and Demarcus Robinson ran routes and served as targets during initial warmups for the three quarterbacks — Brock Purdy, Mac Jones and Tanner Mordecai. During the first full-team drills, Jennings caught his two targets, including one in traffic vs. starting cornerback Renardo Green. Purdy overthrew Jennings on a similar route the next session; Purdy did not throw in the offseason away from the facility with Jennings but did so with Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, George Kittle and Mason Pline.
San Francisco 49ers’ Jauan Jennings (15) runs with the ball during practice at the 49ers training camp at the practice facility at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
COWING HAMSTRING
Cowing pulled his hamstring in warmups, Shanahan said. Cowing opened practice as a punt returner alongside rookies Jordan Watkins and Junior Bergen. Cowing has had an impressive offseason so the 49ers will be closely monitoring the severity of his injury.
Cowing’s injury could prompt them to add another wide receiver, a day after signing Equanimeous St. Brown, Shanahan said. The wide receiver corps is already thin with Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk on the Physically Unable To Perform list.
INTERCEPTION COMBO
Brock Purdy’s first training camp snap as a quarter-billion-dollar quarterback saw him complete about a 30-yard pass down the right side to George Kittle. Then came peculiar interceptions. A wobbly throw was seized by safety Jason Pinnock, then Dee Winters jumped a short route over the middle for a more impressive theft.
Shanahan said of Winters’ pick: “The quarterback just missed him. (Winters) was reading his eyes. the quarterback should have turned it down but he got aggressive with it.”
San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey (23) high-fives San Francisco 49ers’ Patrick Taylor Jr. (32) during practice at the 49ers training camp at the practice facility at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
McCAFFREY GOOD TO GO
Forget all the receiver issues and remember this is a run-first offense that can be sensational with Christian McCaffrey, who looks healthy and raring to go as he took pitches and passes from Brock Purdy in warmups. With him safely kept away from full-team drills, the running back reps were split among Isaac Guerendo, Patrick Taylor Jr., Israel Abanikanda, Jordan James and Corey Kiner.
SPECIAL TEAMS SHOW UP
First action out the gate — and on the new field aligned east-west — is the revamped special teams. New punter Thomas Morstead punted to Cowing, Jordan Watkins and Junior Bergen, while other players worked on techniques behind Morstead. Both Jake Moody and Greg Joseph each made 4-of-4 field goal attempts, all inside 50 yards but in a new direction (west) on the new field.
Bosa said of the kicking competition: “I actually am paying attention to it. Can’t lie. It’s kind of exciting.”
PEARSALL SIGHTING
While that kicking competition attracted attention, Ricky Pearsall went through a vigorous individual workout with head trainer Dustin Perry, and they seemed pleased with the results. Pearsall is on the Physically Unable To Perform list, likely until Sunday. He joined fellow receivers and chatted with Purdy as practice continued.
San Francisco 49ers mascot Sourdough Sam walks past fans during practice at the 49ers training camp at the practice facility at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
NEW FIELD DEBUTS
The 49ers converted their short, artificial-turf field into natural grass then rotated the direction of their practice field to run east-to-west. “I felt nauseous out there. We’re creatures of habit. I didn’t know where to go today,” Shanahan said. “We can rotate them. It’s our first 120-yard field. lot more room and it’s nicer. But it’s a work in progress. I’ll give it three days and see what we do next.”
That new field is where the majority of Wednesday’s work was done, and it was the furthest spot away from the east-side bleachers where a few hundred fans watched from afar.
Monday will be the 49ers’ first day in full pads.
STARTER NOTES
Not much changed on the first-string units from the spring but some noteables:
Luke Gifford lined up at strong-side linebacker next to Fred Warner and Dee Winters.
Ji’Ayir Brown returned from ankle surgery and joined Jason Pinnock as a starting safety tandem.
Offensively, Spencer Burford filled in for the observing Williams at left tackle, while Guerendo took over for McCaffrey.
Originally Published: July 23, 2025 at 8:17 AM PDT