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2026 San Francisco 49ers training camp: Latest intel, updates

ByNick Wagoner ESPN logo
Saturday, August 15, 2026 10:40PM


The 2026 NFL training camps have kicked off around the league, and our team reporters are on the ground each day following all the action. 49ers reporter Nick Wagoner has the latest intel on standouts, highlights, position battles, depth chart movement, cut decisions and, of course, the quarterbacks room.

What follows is everything we are seeing and hearing at 49ers camp. What doesMike Evanslook like as a top receiver on the 49ers? Who are the breakout players to watch, especially for fantasy football? And which players on the roster bubble could make the final 53?

Catch up on all the updates, including the Cowboys' top camp performer and biggest lingering question as preseason games begin.

Camp previews for all 32 NFL teams

Latest news from 49ers' camp

Who is the 49ers' top performer so far at camp?

QB Brock Purdy. There are others deserving of mention here, but this has been Purdy's best and most consistent training camp despite working with a constantly changing supporting cast. No matter who has been at running back or receiver, Purdy has found ways to move the offense in nearly every practice. He has been particularly sharp when pushing the ball downfield for big plays. If healthy, he looks poised for a big year.

What still needs to be answered over the course of preseason games?

Where's the pass rush coming from? The Niners were last in the NFL in sacks (20) and 31st in pressures (157) in 2025. In the offseason, they traded for defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa; they used draft picks on edge Romello Height and defensive tackle Gracen Halton. All three should help, but with defensive ends Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams not yet back from ACL surgeries, the exhibition slate will be the time for others to step forward and carve out roles.

Saturday, Aug. 15

For the 49ers offense, there aren't many obviously available spots in the starting lineup. The exception comes at left guard where the competition is growing larger rather than narrowing as the season approaches.

In Saturday's practice, the Niners added rookie Carver Willis to the mix after Connor Colby and Robert Jones have spent the first few weeks of camp rotating with the starting unit. Colby went first but in the next set of snaps, it was Willis working next to left tackle Trent Williams. Nobody has separated there so far and it was tough sledding blocking DT Osa Odighizuwa in this session, which means any formal decision is going to take some time.

"Those guys are competing," Williams said. "It's a three-man race, so may the best man win, but they're all playing their butts off. Carver is the youngest and he got a little more to learn, but he has a high ceiling, a lot of potential. So just can't wait to see how he develops."

More observations:


  • WR Jacob Cowing returned from his hip flexor injury and made a deep catch down the sideline in team drills.

  • CB Jack Jones was back at practice after injuring his hand early in Thursday's preseason opener. Jones recovered a fumble early in practice.

  • Still no RB Christian McCaffrey or DE Nick Bosa as they recover from some soreness and tendinitis, respectively.

  • Injured RBs Kaelon Black (adductor) and Jordan James (ribs) did some work on the side during the practice, the first time James has been seen since the injury early in camp.

  • QB Kurtis Rourke, who went to the hospital at halftime of Thursday's game because of a hit to the ribs and subsequent breathing problems, did not practice but was on the sideline watching and seemingly in good spirits.

  • With Dre Greenlaw only doing individual drills Saturday, rookie Jaden Dugger continued to get work with the starters at weak side linebacker. Dugger has made a strong impression on defensive coordinator Raheem Morris in the first few weeks and seems to have a good shot at a role in the defense early on.

Tuesday, Aug. 11

More than two weeks into camp, the 49ers offense was looking forward to seeing how it would fare against another team Tuesday. The answer? Quite well.

After a slow start for the unit, QB Brock Purdy continued his strong camp by carving through the Titans secondary for much of the joint practice session, particularly in the latter half of the session. I had Purdy at 21-of-27 on the day, including multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions.

His best throws came in a move in which he dropped a perfect ball between three defenders to rookie WR De'Zhaun Stribling that would have gone for a long touchdown. And then, he had another layered throw over linebacker Cody Barton for a big gain to TE Jake Tonges.

Even Purdy's toughest critic had to give it up for him after the practice.

"Brock's a really good player, so I expect him to have good plays," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "I notice all the bad plays ... I didn't notice many bad plays today so I think he had a hell of a day."

More observations:


  • There were a handful of fights early in the practice that looked like they might have ended the day early. San Francisco's defense seemed to be doing most of the early agitating. But both sides settled in and got some good work.

  • Stribling showed that his early flashes aren't limited to producing against his teammates. Regardless of which unit he was working against, he repeatedly made big plays.

  • Veteran WR Demarcus Robinson also had another big day, catching a couple of touchdowns from Purdy and continuing to make the case to be a valuable backup at multiple spots.

  • Speaking of receivers, Mike Evans was back from his quad injury, though he didn't do much beyond individual drills.

  • DE Nick Bosa is still not practicing with soreness and what Shanahan described as tendinitis. Shanahan said the tendinitis is normal for a player coming off a torn ACL; he has no concern about Bosa's long-term status. The hope is to have him at full strength for Week 1.

  • RB Christian McCaffrey watched the practice in street clothes and, like Bosa, Shanahan indicated there's no worry about the tightness McCaffrey is battling. Shanahan said he'd be more concerned if McCaffrey tried to play through it and risked making it worse.

  • Shanahan is out of the cast on his left hand and has traded it in for a black brace. He was out there for the whole session.

  • Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. was at practice and spent some time chatting with Niners GM John Lynch before the session.

  • Didn't catch who it was, but one of the officials was on the wrong end of a collision and had to be helped off the field.

Monday, Aug. 10

The Niners had only one new addition to their "did not practice" report Monday, but it was a big one: running back Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey did not practice because of what the team called "tightness" after participating in every other practice during this training camp. After the session, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak indicated McCaffrey isn't dealing with anything serious and the team is trying to be smart with him.

"[He's] a little sore, but he's doing fine," Kubiak said. "Just kind of managing him as we go."

Kubiak said the team will continue to keep an eye on McCaffrey's workload as it tries to get him to full speed against the Rams in Australia.

"In terms of his rep load, we're right on track where we want to be," Kubiak said. "And he's a veteran player, so you got to monitor him and get him ready for the first week."

More observations:


  • Legendary Niners receiver Jerry Rice made a cameo appearance at practice, emerging early in team drills and watching from the sideline.

  • Coach Kyle Shanahan continues to work his way back and was on the field for essentially the whole practice.

  • Rookie offensive lineman Carver Willis returned from a concussion. He was back in the mix at left guard with the second-team offense.

  • Tight end George Kittle was doing the most strenuous workout the media has seen him do in this camp on the side as he continues to come back from a ruptured Achilles. Kittle was running routes and catching passes during individual drills.

  • Most of the other injured Niners also continue to work on the side, with RB Kaelon Black and DL Keion White doing some conditioning as they come back from adductor injuries.

  • QB Brock Purdy provided the biggest plays of the day, hitting WR De'Zhaun Stribling for a huge gain on a deep corner route and later connecting with WR Demarcus Robinson on another deep ball.

Saturday, Aug. 8

While Kyle Shanahan returned to media duty and is edging close to 100% recovered from his July 14 car accident, 49ers DE Nick Bosa remained absent from practice.

Bosa, who is recovering from the torn right ACL he suffered in Week 3 last year, has missed the past three open sessions because of what the team is calling general soreness. Before that, Bosa had been working solely in individual drills as part of his recovery. Bosa's absence has raised questions about a potential setback, though it's also worth noting the Niners are always cautious with Bosa in training camp anyway.

Shanahan said after practice that he expects Bosa to be fine.

"He was doing great, and then he got sore just going through some of the individuals," Shanahan said. "You wish that didn't happen. But no, there's no concern to where something's happened that is a big setback or anything. But we'll wait until that soreness goes away and evaluating why the soreness has happened. But I still feel pretty good about that."

More observations:


  • The only new addition to the non-practice list was LB Luke Gifford. It's unclear what he's dealing with, though he did some work on the side during the session.

  • CB Upton Stout had a nice day, laying out for a beautiful pass breakup on a throw for Demarcus Robinson in the red zone then picking off a pass intended for Robinson from QB Brock Purdy and returning it for a touchdown.

  • CB Deommodore Lenoir also got an interception against Purdy on a short throw from Robinson that he might have scored on as well. After two strong days for the offense, the defense bounced back.

  • DB Nate Hobbs also had a pair of pass breakups in team sessions, his first flashes in team drills during this camp.

  • LB Dre Greenlaw was back involved in some team periods after missing a couple of days with soreness of his own.

  • The coaching staff was all wearing shirts honoring Roger Craig, the legendary Niners running back who was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Thursday, Aug. 6

The 49ers offense struggled in Monday's practice, but that session seems to have led the unit to lock in over the past two days. QuarterbackBrock Purdyfollowed up a near-perfect (13-of-14) performance Wednesday with another strong day, featuring three of his best throws of camp.

Purdy finished 11-of-14, including a pair of perfectly placed deep throws to WRs KhaDarel Hodge and Malik Turner for would-be touchdowns. He also fit a tight throw to Deebo Samuel Sr., with coverage from Deommodore Lenoir,for a big gain over the middle.

Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has been impressed with Purdy's focus and competitiveness in more than a week of going against him every day.

"The 'Layer King' has some really intensive intensity and I like that about him," Morris said. "Today he got fired up, which was cool, which was fun, which is competitive. And I love that. And when he does those things, it just makes the team go."

More observations:


  • WR De'Zhaun Stribling (hamstring), LB Dre Greenlaw (soreness) and DT Osa Odighizuwa (soreness) were back at practice on a limited basis. All are being eased back into the mix.

  • WR Mike Evans (quad) didn't practice but is still doing plenty of work on the side, including some running. He looks like he'll return relatively soon, though the Niners clearly don't want to rush him.

  • Rookie DT Gracen Halton is back from a knee bone bruise and in a hurry to make an impact. He has been a dominant force in pass rush drills and productive in team drills as well. He has shown the most juice of any interior pass rusher on the Niners aside from Odighizuwa.

  • OL Nick Zakelj, who hurtan elbow in Wednesday's practice, was the only addition to the injury report Thursday. DE Sam Okuayinonu was fine after he was also shaken up Wednesday.

Wednesday, Aug. 5

Two years ago, the 49ers canceled joint practice sessions with the Saints because, by the time they got to them, they had 23 players not participating for injury reasons. By the end of Wednesday's session, the Niners were without 20 players on their 90-man roster.

Some of those absences -- DE Nick Bosa, LB Dre Greenlaw and DT Osa Odighizuwa -- aren't serious and were more about getting past some general soreness. But questionsstill abound after rookie OL Carver Willis (concussion), FB Kyle Juszczyk (broken finger) and WR Jacob Cowing (hip flexor strain) were added to the injury report Wednesday.

When asked whether next week's joint sessions with the Titans might be in jeopardy, assistant head coach Chris Foerster indicated that such a move hasn't been something that has come across his desk.

"We have injuries, we have dings and bumps and bruises where guys are missing practices, but it has yet to come up in anything I've heard," Foerster said. "It doesn't mean it hasn't been discussed ... but that's not come up this week."

More observations:


  • Wide receivers Mike Evans (quad), Christian Kirk (calf) and De'Zhaun Stribling (hamstring) again sat out practice Wednesday. All three did at least some running and conditioning work on the side during the session.

  • OL Brett Toth is also a new addition to the injury report with an undisclosed ailment.

  • In a bit of good injury news, rookie DT Gracen Halton returned from the knee bone bruise he'd been dealing with. Halton's fresh legs seemed to help him, as he was effective in one-on-one pass-rush drills and team work.

  • The Niners released defensive linemen Kevin Givens andCameron Sampleon Wednesday to make room for DE Ogbo Okoronkwo and WR KhaDarel Hodge. Okoronkwo, who played under defensive coordinator Raheem Morris with the Rams, is wearing No. 59. Hodge is wearing No. 0.

  • QuarterbackBrock Purdy had a sharp day despite playing musical chairs with wide receivers. In one red zone drill, he accounted for three straight touchdowns, finding running back Patrick Taylor Jr. and receiver Junior Bergen for scores before using his legs to score on a designed run. He also led a touchdown drive in the move-the-ball period, which ended on a deep connection with WR Jordan Watkins.

  • Tight endLuke Farrellhad a nice day, too. Farrell hasn't offered much as a pass catcher in his time with the Niners, totaling 11 receptions last season. But he and Purdy were in sync Wednesday.

  • The Niners are back at it Thursday and then have a walkthrough set for Friday.

Monday, Aug. 3

The injuries continue to mount for the 49ers, particularly at wide receiver. On Monday, they added veteran Mike Evans to the list as he did not practice because of a quad strain.

The injury is not believed to be serious and Evans did some work on the side during the session, but it again left the Niners a bit short-handed. WithRicky Pearsall (knee) done for the season, rookie De'Zhaun Stribling battling hamstring tightness and Christian Kirk out for the better part of the past week with a calf strain, the team's projected top four wideouts were not available Monday.

Kirk and Stribling also did some work on the side and should be back soon, but the situation bears watching given the number of injury issues that always seem to plague this team at that position group.

More observations:


  • Mike Brown, the title-winning coach of the NBA's New York Knicks, watched practice Monday. His son Cameron is the Niners' defensive quality control coach.

  • Alex Smith, the former 49ers quarterback and current ESPN analyst, was also in attendance.

  • Running back Kaelon Black (adductor) was another addition to the injury report after he missed the second half of Saturday's practice.

  • Defensive tackle C.J. West and edge rusher Romello Height returned from injuries to participate Monday.

  • WR Deebo Samuel continues to show off fresh legs in camp as he was again quite involved in the offense. With all the injuries at receiver, there's an opening for Samuel to establish a role beyond returning kicks.

Saturday, Aug. 1

While no definitive date has been set for coach Kyle Shanahan to return to full-time duty, he seems to be taking the necessary steps in that direction.

Before Saturday's practice, Shanahan addressed the team for the first time since his July 14 car accident, according to general manager John Lynch. Then, during practice, Shanahan emerged on the field before team drills and stayed through the end of the session. At one point late in practice, he even stood behind the offense, offering real-time feedback rather than standing next to Lynch in the deep middle of the field.

"He's doing better," Lynch said. "He got a nice welcome, and it was good to have him up there. We'll continue to do kind of like a phased approach. So that was one threshold. He wanted to get up there. He was cleared to do so. So we'll see where it goes from there."

More observations:


  • Some new additions to the injury report: rookie WR De'Zhaun Stribling (hamstring tightness), DL Romello Height (elbow) and DL Cameron Sample (knee) did not participate. DL Keion White (adductor), DL Mikail Kamara (knee) and RB Kaelon Black (undisclosed) did not finish the practice after starting it. Kamara's ailment seemed the most serious as he was taken off on a cart.

  • WR Deebo Samuel took part in one-on-one drills but was limited to about 10 snaps in team drills. He made a trio of catches, including one over the middle for a big gain from QB Brock Purdy.

  • It was a rough day for the offense in general as it could never quite get on track. Purdy overthrew a handful of pass catchers as did Mac Jones. Nobody seemed to get in sync as it went on. Perhaps a sign of fatigue a week into training camp.

Friday, July 31

During the team meeting before Friday's first fully padded practice, assistant head coach Chris Foerster emphasized to the 49ers the importance of protecting one another. In that message, Foerster asked his team to be competitive but not fight.

"I did a great job with that one," Foerster said, laughing.

In fact, the Niners' first padded practice did end with a couple of skirmishes, the second of which devolved into a full-fledged fight. On the play, tight end Jake Tonges appeared to push off linebacker Fred Warner then catch a pass from QB Brock Purdy. Although there was a flag thrown on Tonges on the play, Warner ran over to Tonges and got in his face, seemingly taking exception at how Tonges got open. The two exchanged words and shoves before OT Colton McKivitz ran in to stand up for Tonges. That led to LB Dre Greenlaw coming in and McKivitz ending up on the ground as the rest of the team surrounded them. The fight broke up quickly.

Tensions were already bubbling from a play just before that when Greenlaw shoved RB Christian McCaffrey to the ground on the left sideline. McCaffrey stood up and shoved Greenlaw, who seemed to quickly realize who he had shoved and did not retaliate as it broke up quickly. Regardless, Foerster hopes it was just a product of the first day in pads and not a regular occurrence.

"Fights are a waste of time and energy," Foerster said. "Absolute waste of time and energy."

More observations:


  • WR Deebo Samuel was not yet at practice today. He's expected to get everything signed and squared away today and could be out there as soon as Saturday. All signs point toward him being back in his No. 19 with Jacob Cowing switching to No. 6.

  • Coach Kyle Shanahan was on the field before team drills, coming out around 10:45 and staying for the rest of the practice. It was his longest time spent on the field yet in a practice open to media.

  • The 49ers activated DT Alfred Collins (shoulder) from the PUP list Friday. He took part in his first practice of this camp, albeit with some limitations on team reps, it seemed.

  • A good day for DL Keion White in one-on-one pass rush drills. White had a few convincing victories and seems fully healed from the gunshot wound he suffered in his foot/ankle in February.

  • DE Nick Bosa isn't yet doing team drills or one-on-one, but he spent time with OT Trent Williams doing some work on the side during the one-on-one pass rush drills to start getting back up to speed.

  • Rookie WR De'Zhaun Stribling continues to put productive practices together. Mike Evans mentioned Stribling first when asked about other receivers performing in this camp. One thing that has stood out: Stribling makes plays no matter which offensive unit he's with or which defensive unit he's playing against.

Wednesday, July 29

Christian McCaffrey turned 30 years old on June 7, but early suggestions of his fall off don't appear to be coming to fruition in the early days of camp. Coming off the biggest workload of his career, McCaffrey has not only participated in all three open practices but looked like his usual, productive self in the process.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, McCaffrey said he's well aware that a running back with his wear and tear is supposed to have his best days behind him, but he's not spending any time worrying about hitting the 30-year-old milestone.

"I don't make a big deal out of the whole age thing," McCaffrey said. "That does nothing for me. I just think about continuing to grow, continuing to go out there and ball. It's funny, you turn 30 and people bring it up and then two days ago I was 29. So for me, I just keep focusing on getting better. That's all I've ever done. That's all I'll ever do. And again, I feel so fortunate to play this game. I want to play as long as I can. I have no intention of slowing down."

More observations:


  • Rookie edge rusher Romello Height was back at practice after cramping issues on Monday. He does have a new jersey number, switching from 94 to 58.

  • With Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Christian Kirk (calf) not practicing, there's plenty of opportunity for the other wideouts right now. Rookie De'Zhaun Stribling seems to be making the most of it, coming up with more catches for sizable gains on Wednesday.

  • S Malik Mustapha (hamstring) and RB Jordan James (rib fracture) were added to the injury list Wednesday. Tough news for both with competition forming at their spots.Marques Sigle and rookie Kaelon Black appear to be the early beneficiaries of those injuries in terms of extra reps.

  • The Niners will be off on Thursday but back on Friday. That is expected to be their first day in full pads.

Monday, July 27

The addition of receiver Mike Evans was undoubtedly the team's biggest offseason move and much has been made of Evans' ability not only to contribute on the field but help the team's impressionable young wideouts. That has been evident in the first couple of days of camp, but a hidden benefit might also already be showing itself.

Evans, who beat cornerback Deommodore Lenoir on a deep ball down the left sideline Sunday, has also been unafraid to share tips with the Niners' defensive backs. Lenoir, who doesn't hand out praise to receivers easily, said Evans has already been an excellent resource for him and the other cornerbacks.

"We actually talk a lot more than I thought because he's a receiver," Lenoir said. "But he's a great guy. ... That's my guy. We've been working. He's been teaching me a lot."

More observations from the day:


  • Niners coach Kyle Shanahan again watched practice from afar alongside general manager John Lynch. He came out during team drills and stayed through the end of Monday's session.

  • Rookie pass rusher Romello Height left practice late in the session on a cart. But the Niners announced soon after Height was just dealing with cramps.

  • Running back Jordan James, who has looked good early in camp, was active in the first few team periods Monday but then wasn't involved the rest of the way. It's unclear if there was an injury issue there but something to monitor. RookieKaelon Black got extended work.

  • The 49ers already have four players dealing with injuries: OT Vederian Lowe (high right ankle sprain), DT Gracen Halton (knee bone bruise), WR Christian Kirk (calf) and DL Andrew Farmer II (back). Lowe and Halton are expected to miss some time as they recover.

  • Was a tougher day for the offense as the defense came up with a handful of plays. Safety Ji'Ayir Brown intercepted QB Brock Purdy, and CB Renardo Green had a nice pass breakup against WR Jacob Cowing.

Sunday, July 26

Defensive end Nick Bosa is easing his way back into the mix after suffering a torn ACL in Week 3 of last season, but he is not on the PUP list, and he did individual drills Sunday.

In the spring, Bosa suggested he would be back at the start of training camp, though it was unclear to what degree he would participate. Though he didn't do anything in team drills Sunday, the Niners will likely continue to phase him back in as camp goes on with an eye toward having him at full speed for Week 1. Left tackle Trent Williams was impressed by what he saw Sunday.

"I can't tell he had an injury and came back from anything," Williams said. "Most people with an injury that catastrophic, you can see it with something like with atrophy in the leg. Bosa looks better than he did before he got hurt."

A healthy Bosa would go a long way toward fixing a pass rush that had the NFL's fewest sacks in 2025.

More observations from the day:


  • Defensive back Nate Hobbs was the only player on the active roster not participating at the beginning of practice. Hobbs dealt with knee issues last season.

  • Offensive tackle Vederian Lowe and wide receiver Christian Kirk were hobbled a bit during the session.

  • It was a strong day for QB Brock Purdy, who went 10-of-12 in team drills with the highlight coming on a deep ball down the left sideline to WR Mike Evans for a big gain against CB Deommodore Lenoir.

  • Conversely, we saw a couple of interceptions for backup QB Mac Jones, including one thrown right to S Marques Sigle.

  • LB Nick Martin appears to be getting the first crack at the Sam linebacker spot, though the Niners have multiple options to work through there.

  • The same is true of Connor Colby at left guard. He took all the reps with the starters Sunday, though Chris Foerster said Robert Jones will also compete there.

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