The 49ers returned to the field Thursday during OTAs at the Levi’s Stadium practice field in Santa Clara.
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
Rookie 49ers running back Kaelon Black was tested in the passing game Thursday during OTAs at the Levi’s Stadium practice field in Santa Clara.
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
Niners quarterback Brock Purdy throws Thursday during OTAs at the Levi’s Stadium practice field in Santa Clara.
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
Thursday offered a first look at the 2026 San Francisco 49ers with voluntary OTAs underway. Head coach Kyle Shanahan noted a near-perfect attendance sans All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who is expected to report to Levi’s Stadium sometime next week. Mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 9-10, and until then, all team activities are optional.
Franchise quarterback Brock Purdy was one of a select few veterans who practiced during the 1½-hour session.
Best-buddy linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, reunited after a season apart, were attached at the hip as observers. Coming off of his fractured and dislocated ankle last season, Warner said at the beginning of the offseason program in April that he would be full go with no restrictions. Healthy or injured, he typically does not participate during OTAs. Newly acquired wide receiver Mike Evans was absent Thursday due to a family matter, according to Shanahan, but participated in Wednesday’s closed practice. Running back Christian McCaffrey also didn’t practice Thursday but said he did Wednesday and expects to be regularly involved throughout offseason workouts.
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Backup quarterback Mac Jones, who recently received a $300,000 raise, was in attendance but did not throw during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 scrimmages. Shanahan said Jones expressed dealing with shoulder soreness: “Said he could have gone through it, but it was unnecessary and gave a chance to other guys to get more reps.”
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, safety Malik Mustapha, center Jake Brendel and right tackle Colton McKivitz were among the team’s returning starters who practiced Thursday.
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Young wideouts show up in shape: Jordan Watkins caught two passes as a rookie last season. Jacob Cowing spent all of last year on injured reserve due to a torn hamstring after only four catches his rookie season. Both young wide receivers were taken in the fourth round.
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Looking to take a step up, Shanahan noticed they arrived for offseason workouts already in shape. No time to waste.
“I was really excited with how Jordan and Jake came back,” Shanahan said. “You can tell they came back, it wasn’t just healthy, you can tell they’ve been putting work in, and coming in here in shape has allowed them to get a lot farther ahead in these five weeks.”
Top draft pick De’Zhaun Stribling adds to the 49ers’ youth at wide receiver. Like any other rookie wideout, Shanahan, a former college wide receiver, plans to put him through the usual gantlet.
“We’ve only been out there two days, but he’s done all our drills for the two weeks we had him in phase two,” Shanahan said. “He’s been awesome in the meeting rooms, works his tail off, and it’s been good to watch him in two practices. But that’s what they’re going through right now. We throw a ton of stuff at them. They usually do well the first couple days. They usually melt the second week. And they usually come back in training camp a little bit better for it.”
Hands test: Rookie running back Kaelon Black had three catches in team drills, including a nifty outstretched snag of an off-target screen pass from Purdy.
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Black’s three receptions were one fewer than he had last season at Indiana, where he combined for eight catches in two years. The third-round pick’s 52 receptions in his four-year college career invited questions about his effectiveness as a pass catcher. After Shanahan and general manager John Lynch dismissed those concerns after the draft, Shanahan described Black as a work in progress in that area Thursday.
“I see a guy that I think can be developed in the pass game,” Shanahan said. “We definitely were excited about him (primarily) as a runner. But we’ve gotten a lot of guys here who didn’t start out great in the pass game. They have the skill set to do it — they just haven’t worked at it that much.”
Shanahan likened Black to former 49ers running backs Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason. Mitchell had 49 catches in college and Mason had 25.
“I know those guys got a lot better,” Shanahan said. “And I see Kaelon being the same way.”
Running back sidelined: Isaac Guerendo likely would have assured himself a spot on the 53-man roster with a strong training camp. Bad news for the 2024 fourth-round pick: He will miss most, if not all, of training camp.
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Shanahan said Guerendo suffered a torn pectoral lifting weights about a month ago and could return “right around the end” of camp in August.
“Sometimes this game is super unfortunate,” McCaffrey said. “He was working his butt off all offseason and sometimes it’s that freak stuff that happens.”
Before the injury, the forecast appeared gloomy for Guerendo, who showed promise while rushing for 420 yards and averaging 5 yards a carry as a rookie. Last year, Guerendo suffered a separated shoulder in camp and was buried on the depth chart after the 49ers subsequently traded for running back Brian Robinson. Guerendo appeared in 14 games, but his 173 snaps all came on special teams.
The 49ers typically keep four running backs on their roster. McCaffrey, Black and 2025 fifth-round pick Jordan James are locks. Guerendo could battle Patrick Taylor, a core special-teams player, for the final spot.
With Guerendo sidelined, the 49ers signed running backs Jermar Jefferson and Jordan Mims. They waived running back Sincere McCormick, who was signed on April 28, and placed safety Darrick Forrest on injured reserve.
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Left guard competition: The 49ers lost two of the three offensive linemen who made starts at left guard last season to free agency. Former seventh-round draft pick Connor Colby is the only one left. Colby made six starts after season-opening starter Ben Bartch suffered an early injury but was ultimately benched for Spencer Burford.
Now, with Bartch and Burford in different jerseys, Colby is back in the mix.
“I think Connor Colby has come a long way,” McKivitz said. “You never know how your rookie season’s going to go. It can be really good or really bad. You learn a lot. You’re kind of flying by the seat of your pants and you don’t really have a whole lot of technique. You’re just thrown in and it’s a whirlwind.”
Fourth-round draft pick Carver Willis, a college tackle looking to transition inside, and veteran pickup Robert Jones also appear in line to compete for the vacancy.
Joint practices: Shanahan said the 49ers are planning to have joint practices against the Titans (in Santa Clara) and Chargers (El Segundo, Los Angeles County) before their preseason games against each team in August.
Shanahan, of course, has a close relationship with first-year Tennessee head coach Robert Saleh, whose second stint as the 49ers defensive coordinator ended after the 2025 season. The 49ers and Chargers held joint practices in Orange County in 2021.