The San Francisco 49ers are set to hold joint practice this Thursday with the Denver Broncos ahead of their preseason game on Saturday. There are going to be lots of familiar faces for Niners fans.
While it will be fun to see the 49ers play their first game since last January, coaches often put more stock in how players perform in joint practices since it is a more controlled environment and they can get a better read of how their starters look against an opposing team.
Most likely, not many of San Francisco’s starters will play on Saturday against Denver, although early reports suggest the Broncos will have their starters, including quarterback Bo Nix, out there, which should provide a good test for the defense.
Still, the 49ers are going to see a lot of old friends this week. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already said he is not looking forward to that.
Let’s break down all the former Niners who are now on the Broncos.
Dre Greenlaw
Long the bruiser in the middle of the field at linebacker for San Francisco, Greenlaw departed for Denver in free agency. It was not for a lack of effort by the 49ers, but it seems Greenlaw wanted to be the top guy and not have to forever live in the shadow of his counterpart, Fred Warner.
He has been a little banged up so far, a problem he had with the Niners as well, so we will see if he participates in either the joint practice or the game on Saturday, but nonetheless it will be nice for 49ers players to catch up with their old friend.
Talanoa Hufanga
Another key defender who left the Niners in free agency last March in favor of Denver is safety Talanoa Hufanga. The USC product had a solid rookie season in San Francisco but dealt with injuries each of the last two seasons.
With the current state of the 49ers at safety, they may be wishing they still had Hufanga on the team.
D.J. Jones
Defensive lineman D.J. Jones was with San Francisco from 2017 to 2021 and developed into a solid interior D-lineman by the end of his time with the team. He ended up going to the Broncos and has continued to be a solid player.
There was some talk of a reunion in the offseason, but the Niners decided to fill their line with rookies instead.
Rookie C.J. West has already drawn comparisons to Jones, so maybe the two can exchange notes this week.
Mike McGlinchey
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey was a solid presence on the offensive line for the 49ers even if he was not the Joe Staley successor some were hoping for. He has been with Denver the last two seasons after signing an exorbitant five-year $87.5 million contract.
San Francisco probably doesn’t miss him too much at that price even if Colton McKivitz is not the best right tackle out there.
It will be nice to see these familiar faces this week, and we will have to see if things get heated and there are any dust-ups between the two teams as they are surely both amped up for their first real action against guys who are not their current teammates.
