49ers training camp: Brock Purdy rebounds, grows as a leader; Isaac Guerendo, others return

On Tuesday, the San Francisco 49ers held their 18th training camp practice. The team is preparing for Friday's preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Here are some highlights from the 12:50 p.m. PT practice at the SAP Performance Facility, compiled from various sources.

Noteworthy non-participants

WR Brandon Aiyuk (hold-in)
OL Aaron Banks (finger)
DT Kalia Davis (knee)
OL Jon Feliciano (knee)
S Tayler Hawkins
WR Jauan Jennings (oblique)
RB Jordan Mason (hip)
RB Christian McCaffrey (calf)
RB Elijah Mitchell (hamstring)
WR Ricky Pearsall (shoulder)
CB Ambry Thomas (forearm)
P Mitch Wishnowsky (knee)
CB Isaac Yiadom (ankle)

Feliciano recently underwent surgery and is expected to begin the season on the injured reserve list.

"He ended up having to get some type of—I don't know exactly the surgery he got—but he got something done," Shanahan said of Feliciano. "He'll end up probably starting on IR, and hope to have him back towards the middle of the year."

Meanwhile, head coach Kyle Shanahan stated that Pearsall is not expected to practice this week.

Unavailable players

Physically unable to perform (PUP) list

LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles)
S Talanoa Hufanga (knee)
DE Drake Jackson (knee, season-ending)

Injured reserve list

OL Pat Elflein (calf)

Did not report list

T Trent Williams (hold out)

Wide receiver Frank Darby (hamstring) has been removed from the injured reserve list following an injury settlement.

Brock Purdy rebounds, grows as a leader

Quarterback Brock Purdy had a rough outing against the Saints, struggling in a game where most of the starters didn't play, leaving him under significant pressure from the defense.

However, Purdy bounced back with a much-improved performance in practice. According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN, the quarterback completed 12 of 13 passes during team drills, including a "perfectly-placed" deep ball to recently acquired wide receiver Robbie Chosen, which traveled about 50 yards through the air. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and safety Ji'Ayir Brown were in coverage on the play.

Purdy's only incompletion occurred when cornerback Charvarius Ward broke up a pass intended for tight end George Kittle.

Shanahan noted that Purdy, coming off a record-breaking season in 2023, has grown even more as a leader and is showing greater command of the offense this year.

"The team, based off of what he's done, he's earned their respect on the field, and they know him as a guy inside and out and no one respects anyone more as a person than how much they respect Brock," Shanahan said.

He added, "He's got enough tape out there that everyone has a good grasp of what Brock is, and that's a very good quarterback."

Dominick Puni evaluates his play

According to Pro Football Focus, rookie offensive tackle Dominick Puni allowed just one pressure in his 30 pass-blocking snaps (40 total) on Sunday against the Saints. He's been a standout performer during training camp.

"I feel like I'm doing pretty good," Puni said. "Every day is like another step towards learning something new, especially in this offense. Difficult offense to kind of jump in and learn for your first time. So, just taking it day by day, learning the playbook. There's still little details within every play that I need to get better at."

Puni has received significant practice reps due to injuries affecting the offensive line. With Jon Feliciano expected to start the season on injured reserve after undergoing knee surgery, Puni is the leading candidate to start Week 1 against the New York Jets. Despite this, the rookie remains focused on the immediate task.

"It's definitely in the back of my head," Puni admitted when asked about possibly of being a Week 1 starter. "But at the same time, we've got to go play Vegas on Friday, so just kind of taking it day by day. That's kind of how I've done things my whole life, especially with football. I'm not looking too far ahead because I know that can get you in trouble [with] where you are now."

Camp-to-season transition

The 49ers are shifting from training camp mode to regular season mode. Tuesday's practice, one of only two this week, began later than the usual 10:25 a.m. start time. Wednesday's session is set to start even later (details below).

Quick notes

It's a short week for the 49ers, who faced the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, resulting in a brief, non-padded practice session. Running backs Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) and Patrick Taylor Jr. (foot) returned to practice, along with offensive linemen Ben Bartch (knee irritation) and Spencer Burford (hand), though Burford was limited.

Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated was impressed by Guerendo's return, noting, "Played extensively with the starters and looked fantastic. Had four carries for roughly 30 yards. Looked much more explosive than Cody Schrader, who did not participate in team drills."

Wagoner observed that Guerendo, a rookie, looked sharp in his return and suggested that the speedy running back may still be able to secure a roster spot, particularly if he performs well against the Raiders.

The starters received most of the work in team drills, with many expected to play on Friday, given the significant playing time reserves had on Sunday.

Nick Zakelj practiced at left guard with the first-team offensive line, which continues to deal with several injuries.

Wagoner noted would-be sacks by defensive end Nick Bosa (2) and defensive tackle Kevin Givens (1). However, Cohn critiqued the defensive effort, stating that the unit "simply didn't try hard."

Injury updates

Cohn reported that wide receiver Jacob Cowing limped off the field with an apparent leg injury after the final play of practice, noting that "the injury did not seem serious but it did seem painful."

Running backs Christian McCaffrey (calf), Elijah Mitchell (hamstring), and Jordan Mason (hip) were among the players working out on a side field during practice.

Safety Talanoa Hufanga (knee) will not practice this week and is not expected to play against the Raiders.

"He got cleared last week, so it's been good that he can do real football drills and stuff with the trainers and everything," Shanahan said. "He's been going a lot harder with that, I think two days on, two days off. Hopefully, it goes real good this week, and maybe we could ease him into practice next week."