Purdy and Pearsall return, but 49ers’ lineman carted off with neck injury
SANTA CLARA — Brock Purdy returned to practice Sunday and was joined by Ricky Pearsall, while Renardo Green and Jauan Jennings were among the newly wounded.
It was a pretty routine day at camp until defense lineman Tarron Jackson sustained a neck injury that caused him to be strapped to spine board, taken away on a cart an escorted to Stanford Hospital to determine the severity.
A three-year veteran who played two seasons with Philadelphia and last season for Carolina, Jackson is competing for a roster spot at defensive end and went down during a non-padded practice.
With players taking a knee, the music was turned off and the practice chatter became an eerie silence. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Jackson was speaking and moving his extremities, which he relayed to the team as a whole before practice resumed.
“It eases their biggest fears,” Shanahan said. “I asked him if they were OK to continue to go and they all yelled yes and we finished the last period and a half.”
Christian McCaffrey, who sat out practice as scheduled, said it was a sobering moment.
“It’s a reminder not to take any days for granted, when you’re in a non-padded practice and get carted off,” McCaffrey said. “It’s a serious sport and you just pray for the best for him.”
Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir described the feeling as doctors and the training staff tended to Jackson.
“When you see a brother down you kind of put yourself there,” Lenoir said. “We’re praying for him and we’re hoping he’s all right an that he gets back to us safe and sound.”
Purdy missed practice Friday with a personal matter which is according to Shanahan which was positive rather than negative.
“Brock had some family stuff — all good news,” Shanahan said. “I’m sure he’ll tell you when you talk to him next. He didn’t miss a beat.”
Purdy was not among the 49ers who spoke to the media Sunday.
Pearsall got eight snaps, catching two slants and scoring once in the red zone on a throw from Purdy. He started camp on physically unable to perform list with a hamstring strain.
“His rep count was real low,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see how he did with recovery but I didn’t hear any complaints on his first day back.”
Green, projected as a starting cornerback strained his hamstring Friday on a day in which he broke up three passes. He’ll miss the first preseason game against Denver on Aug. 9 as well as the joint practices with the Broncos in Santa Clara leading into the game.
Shanahan said both Green and wide receiver Jacob Cowing, who strained a hamstring on the first day of training camp, are expected to be available the week leading into the 49ers’ second preseason game on Aug. 16 against the Raiders and Las Vegas.
Jennings, according to Shanahan, left practice with a calf injury of undetermined severity. He would appear to be an unlikely participant Monday when the 49ers hold their first padded practice.
Lenoir apologizes for `mistake’
Lenoir, arrested June 27 for obstruction of justice in Los Angeles, addressed the matter for the first time.
“I’m different than who I was five years ago when it coms to being in the right place, not hanging out in areas that I shouldn’t be. I want to apologize to my teammates, to the organization and to my family for a mistake.”
Lenoir, 25, was with a group when police observed a gun in a parked vehicle. According to reports, when police requested the keys, one of the group tossed the keys to Lenoir who then gave them to a third person who tried to hide them.
Last season, Lenoir signed a five-year contract extension worth a maximum of $92 million.
CMC on fatherhood
McCaffrey has been a father for two weeks after his wife Olivia gave birth to Colette Annalise McCaffrey and is counting his blessings for being a “girl dad.”
“I’ve been on Cloud 9 ever since she was born,” McCaffrey said. “It’s definitely been special — life changing, for sure. I’m grateful for my wife. She does a great job letting me keep football going.”
McCaffrey, along with veterans Nick Bosa and Trent Williams, were rested as part of a long-range camp schedule to keep them healthy and ready for a long season.
“Christian gets frustrated with it,” Shanahan said. “He wants to be out there, to do everything. But Christian is also very smart, he knows what the deal is and knows that we do need to protect him from himself.”
Mike Shanahan observes practice
Mike Shanahan, Kyle’s father and a two-time Super Bowl winning coach, was on hand to watch practice for the first time this camp.
With Kyle’s son Carter helping out with camp, it brings three generations of Shanahan’s together.
“He enjoys football, so it’s entertaining for him, Kyle Shanahan said. “I grew up going to training camp loving football and not realizing until you grow up that it gave you a chance to hang around with your dad a lot. He can hang around with me and my son a little bit.”
Practice notes
— Undrafted free agent running back Corey Kiner circled out of the backfield and made a long catch downfield from Tanner Mordecai against a blitz that left him one-on-one with edge rusher Robert Beal Jr.
“It’s something he did a little of in college,” Shanahan said. “They ran a blitz, he got to run vs. a peeling D-lineman. It was a good look for him, and he was able to run by him and make a big play.”
— Tre Brown was working as a first team cornerback in the absence of Green.
— Cornerback Dallis Flowers had a four-year veteran, had a pass breakup on a red zone play.
— The 49ers ran mostly safe passing plays during team sessions, with Purdy overthrowing Equanmious St. Brown on his only deep attempt.
— Greg Joseph made all four of his field goal attempts ranging from 26 to 50 yards, while Jake Moody was 3-for-4, missing his last one wide left.
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Brock Purdy resumed practice for the 49ers Sunday after missing the previous training camp session for what the club said were “personal” reasons.
At Friday’s practice, Purdy was not present, so backup quarterback Mac Jones, signed in free agency from Jacksonville this offseason, and third-stringer Tanner Mordecai had all the snaps. Players had Saturday off.
Sunday’s practice is the 49ers’ fourth of training camp, meaning they are eligible for their first session in pads Monday.
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was also present for practice after being activated off the Physically Unable To Perform List. The second-year receiver warmed up with the Niners, then broke out to field punts along with rookies Junior Bergen and Jordan Watkins.