Finally, football has come back to Santa Clara.
The 49ers (sans one notable exception) reported to training camp Tuesday, and with them came a number of topics to discuss. Fans eager for football news after the summer break don’t have to wait any longer, as 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch fielded questions from reporters Tuesday, along with running back Christian McCaffrey, safety Talanoa Hufanga, and linebacker Fred Warner.
The news will keep coming on Wednesday once practice gets underway, but for now there’s plenty to review from Tuesday’s media sessions. Here’s a rundown of some bullet points of interest from Tuesday, including why Shanahan is impressed with wide receiver Deebo Samuel, why Lynch isn’t worried about the mindset of left tackle Trent Williams, where things stand with Trey Lance and the quarterback rotation, and much more.
Shirtless Deebo is ready to rumble
Deebo Samuel held nothing back during a June press conference when he gave an assessment of his 2022 performance, declaring to reporters he was “awful” last season.
Samuel and the 49ers went through a contract dispute in 2022 after his breakout All-Pro performance in 2021, which threw him off course before the season began. His final numbers from last season (56 catches, 632 yards two touchdowns; 42 carries, 232 yards, three touchdowns) paled in comparison to what he produced in 2021 (77 catches, 1,405 yards, six touchdowns; 59 carries, 365 yards, eight touchdowns), and he made it clear in the spring he was determined to make up for it in 2023.
“I’ll never put nothing like that on tape again,” Samuel said in June.
Not surprisingly, Samuel has been hard at work in recent weeks preparing for camp. He’s made sure Shanahan knows about, too — in his own unique way.
“Never had a grown man send me so many pictures with his shirt off, but it looks good, and I can tell he’s put the work in,” Shanahan said.
Shanahan doesn’t quite agree with Samuel’s evaluation of his 2022 performance, but he did enjoy the fact Samuel was being so critical of how he played.
“I don’t think Deebo had to be that harsh on himself to you guys, but it was cool to watch,” Shanahan said. “Deebo is one of the best players in this league and anytime he doesn’t play like one of the best players in this league, everyone’s going to be disappointed, including himself. And I think that was the case. It’s a fine line to say that he was awful just because he wasn’t one of the best players in the league.
“I think he was disappointed. I think he can get back to playing a little bit more like he did in ’21. I think he took one small step back, but that doesn’t mean he can’t take two steps forward.”
Shanahan wasn’t there to see Samuel work in person over the summer, but it seems Samuel’s photos were all he needed to know that big things could be ahead for the versatile wide receiver 2023.
“I know you guys heard him that day,” Shanahan said. “That’s the last time I really heard him. But I see better than I hear, and Deebo’s in a really good spot, and I’m really excited for Deebo this year.”
Shanahan isn’t the only one who is optimistic about Samuel’s outlook for this season. McCaffrey is as well, saying Samuel has been doing what he needs to do to have a big performance.
“I mean, they say the best players are their hardest critics,” McCaffrey said. “From my point of view, I think Deebo is one of the most special players and athletes I’ve ever been around. He does things with the ball in his hands that you can’t coach, you can’t teach. So I’m excited for him. I know he’s been working extremely hard.”
Assuming Samuel can stay healthy in 2023, it seems a safe bet he’ll be able to outproduce the numbers he put up in 2022. With players like McCaffrey around, Samuel may not need to put up the types of numbers he did in 2021, but at the very least he’ll make the offense more dangerous.
“We have great coaches,” McCaffrey said. “We have guys who know how to put guys in space, and having him on the field is a massive advantage for us, for me, for everybody. So I’m excited to see him out here. I know he’s hungry and ready to go.”
Don’t worry about Trent
For a brief moment in January, it looked like the 49ers may have to wonder about whether or not All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams would be back for the 2023 season. But those worries quickly subsided and now seem to be a distant memory.
A dejected Williams admitted after the 49ers’ crushing defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game that he had thought about his future and how long he wanted to continue to play. But Williams quickly erased any concerns by announcing days later he would be playing in 2023, and it sounds like the 49ers think he’ll be all-in for at least a little while longer.
“Man, he’s still playing at such a high level,” Lynch said Tuesday. “He’s a special player. I think I’ve played with some greats — the (Warren) Sapps, the Derrick Brooks — I mean, Trent is in that ilk, and he’s a special human being, special athlete, and he’s always ready.
“And provided he’s having fun, and I think provided he believes that we have a chance to go compete, he’s still in this thing very much, and we’re very grateful for that. He’s a pro. He really is.”
Williams is at the age (35) where questions about his future will pop up again eventually, but chances are there won’t be any until after the 2023 season at the earliest. The 49ers certainly enjoy the luxury of having the NFL’s best left tackle on their roster and would surely prefer to keep Williams around for longer than that.
“He kind of does it quietly, but his game is not quiet at all,” Lynch said. “He’s a unique athlete, and really, over time, I’ve gotten to know him, I think he’s a unique person, got some unique character to him. So he’s the total package. And when you have the total package with a guy that much ability, you got the ability to be special, and that’s exactly what he is for us.”
Trey’s offseason improvement
What kind of improvement has Trey Lance made in his game after working with trainer and former NFL quarterback Jeff Christensen over the offseason? We’ll find out soon enough, but Shanahan has already noticed a couple of positives.
“He looks healthier,” Shanahan said. “I think his feet look better.”
Lance returned to the field for offseason workouts earlier this year after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2 of the 2022 season. How much he plays in 2023 remains to be seen given the presence of Brock Purdy and veteran Sam Darnold on the roster, but Shanahan said Lance did what he needed to do in his time away from the team this summer.
“I’m not taking away anything from Jeff, but Trey has put all the work in, and it’s awesome that he had a guy that he can do that stuff with,” Shanahan said. “But that’s exactly what Brock did. It’s what Sam Darnold does. I’ve never had a quarterback who doesn’t do that. They all do that. It’s like golf pros. They go to work on things with their swing and stuff like that. And I think the most important time is after the season, in that March/April before OTAs, and it’s always extremely important in the 40 days away. Trey’s done that the last few years. He just went with a different guy this year.”
How will things play out at QB?
The 49ers announced Tuesday that Purdy had been cleared for action after an offseason rehab from shoulder surgery, which was great news for the quarterback position that came earlier than expected. But with Purdy already back on the field, things will get even more interesting in terms of how the 49ers balance their quarterback rotation during training camp and the preseason.
Purdy will run with the first team when he practices but will be on a “pitch count” and will be taking practices off during training camp. When Purdy is not on the field, the 49ers will be giving first-team looks to Trey Lance and Sam Darnold. There’s also Brandon Allen, who impressed after being added to the team in the spring, but his opportunities could be limited in the weeks ahead.
“Brandon came on and did a really good job in OTAs,” Shanahan said. “So that’s, to me, what makes it a little bit harder how to fit in a fourth guy. But he earned that. And so that’s what we’re going to have to figure out as a staff with reps and everything, the ones and twos pretty much they get the same reps. So it’s not a problem with the ones and twos. The threes are the ones who don’t get as much.”
The quarterback position was already set to be the biggest storyline surrounding the 49ers heading into camp, but Purdy’s return adds another intriguing twist. Shanahan will make it a point to give everyone a chance, and preseason games could prove to be important in determining what the pecking order will be in Week 1.
“Now we’ve got to figure (that) out for the twos because (Nate) Sudfeld got those mainly with the twos last year,” Shanahan said. “Now we’re going to split those up with those guys. And I know that’ll bleed into the threes, but when it’s said and done, hopefully it’ll balance out. I know we’re going to give them all an op (opportunity), and that’s also why those preseason games will probably be a little bit more for those guys, too, than they have been in the past.”
Purdy is expected to be considered the starter until proven otherwise, even if he won’t get a full load of reps in the weeks ahead. Even though he’s on a pitch count, Purdy will likely be more prepared for the 2023 season than he was as a No. 3 quarterback as a rookie last August.
“I keep reminding him all he got were three reps last year for like the first month,” Shanahan said. “So he’s going to have a lot more reps regardless of what happens this year.”
To lead or not to lead?
The 49ers will have a somewhat different look in the secondary this season, and they could have a shift in leadership as a result.
Gone is veteran Jimmie Ward, who signed with the Houston Texans in free agency after nine seasons with the 49ers. Ward’s departure means it may or may not be time for young strong safety Talanoa Hufanga to step into a leadership role.
It would seem natural for the 23-year-old Hufanga to take that step after an All-Pro performance in his second NFL season. But the 49ers are a team filled with veteran leaders, including two in the secondary in cornerback Charvarius “Mooney” Ward and safety Tashaun Gipson. So if Hufanga joins that list, it may not be out of necessity.
“Yeah, I think it’s something that’s kind of organic,” Warner said Tuesday. “Something that organically happens throughout training camp, throughout the season. I don’t think it’s on Huf’s shoulders to be the guy all of a sudden. I think it’s going to be leadership by committee in that room, especially with him, Gip, Mooney, all the older vets in that room. I think that’s going to work itself out naturally.”
It does sound like Hufanga is ready to take on more leadership responsibilities if he is called upon to do so. But he expects the entire unit will raise their game to compensate for the losses of Ward and other departed veterans such as cornerbacks Emmanuel Moseley, Dontae Johnson and Jason Verrett.
“I think I can step up as much as I can and as much as the guys allow me to. Jimmie had that presence in our locker room and on the field,” Hufanga said. “Just a great guy for him to move on. I think everybody understands that. I think everybody’s kind of elevating their game, their style, their presence, so it’s not just the older guys that lead.
“And we had a lot of vets last year, like E-Man, Dontae and JV. I think all those guys really were able to put out really good stuff for us. And so for us, I think having Gip, having Mooney, Demo (Deommodore Lenoir), we’re all slowly rising and new guys come in as well. So I think we’re all just going to take what we’ve learned and put it together and hopefully great things will happen.”
Huf on the rookie
There will be youth in this year’s 49ers secondary to go with its experience, led by safety and third-round pick Ji’Ayir Brown. Brown was a third-round pick of the 49ers in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Penn State and could wind up being a successor to the soon-to-be 33-year-old Gipson down the line.
Hufanga spoke Tuesday about Brown, who oddly enough is older than Hufanga by a few days (Brown was born on January 25, 2000, while Hufanga was born on February 1, 2000).
“First off, tremendous guy, just in the locker room. I think his presence — I’m still I think I’m even younger than him,” Hufanga said. “So it’s kind of weird, like, trying to talk to him, but a guy that comes in just kind of with his mentality, his maturity, really right there where it needs to be… That’s why you bring a guy like him into our locker room.”
Both Hufanga and Gipson will have plenty to teach Brown, who showed a nose for the football while in college at Penn State with 16 total takeaways in his final two seasons (ten interceptions, three fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles).
“I’m trying to as much as I can bring him along,” Hufanga said. “But I think that’s a really unique opportunity for Gip as well. I was able to go under Gip’s wing last year and kind of for Tashaun just to kind of take him too, because those are guys that I don’t know, as a younger safety, you want to lean on a vet like that that’s been through a lot.”
Time will tell how Brown fits in this season, but he showed Hufanga and the rest of the secondary during the spring that he’s ready to contribute.
“He’s on point with his stuff, his communication,” Hufanga said. “He’s learning really quick. And I think, like I said, when it comes back to the maturity, it’s his confidence on the field, and I think that plays a big role. If you go out there and you’re timid, you’re not going to make the plays that you want to make. And so watching a guy like (Ji’Ayir) he really is falling into that role perfectly. So he’s going to make his plays for sure. It’s about trying to strike the right balance between being a playmaker back there and sort of protecting, keeping up big plays.”
McCaffrey focused on 49ers after RB meeting
There’s been plenty of conversation about running back contracts around the NFL in recent days, but McCaffrey didn’t have much to say on the issue Tuesday.
McCaffrey was reportedly among the running backs to have participated in a Zoom meeting on Saturday that focused the state of running back contracts after the difficulty a handful of players at the position had in securing long-term deals over the offseason. McCaffrey, who signed a four-year deal with the Carolina Panthers in 2020 worth $64 million before being traded to the 49ers in 2022, said running backs are worth “way more than what they’re getting” but didn’t know where to go from here in terms of solving the problem and is now keeping his focus on the 49ers.
“As far as a solution goes, wish I had an answer,” McCaffrey said. “I think just starting the conversation is important and going from there, but right now it’s training camp. It’s time for me to lock in on 49ers football and doing what I can to help the team.”
Some running backs may be unhappy with their situation, but McCaffrey isn’t one of them. He’s thrilled to be with the 49ers and in a situation where he’s heading into the season on a Super Bowl contender.
“Yeah, it’s definitely really exciting,” McCaffrey said. “I’m happy to be a part of a stacked team and a bunch of great coaches, great players, great staff.”
