The San Francisco 49ers held their final open practice of training camp on a holiday recognized within the organization as 87 Day. The day is dedicated to honoring the life and legacy of Hall of Fame wide receiver Dwight Clark. Famously responsible for "The Catch" from Joe Montana in the 1981 NFC Championship Game, Clark lives forever in 49ers lore as the player that secured the team's entry into Super Bowl XVI.
Here are the updates from Day 10 of the team's workouts:
Updates from the coaches and front office personnel:
- Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk took a scheduled veteran rest day.
- Head coach Kyle Shanahan noted that he "doubts" quarterback Brock Purdy will play in the 49ers first preseason game versus the Las Vegas Raiders this coming weekend, however, that is subject to change.
- Shanahan expects to see Purdy participate in both of the joint practices in Las Vegas.
- The head coach anticipates there will be a change in Purdy's throwing schedule at some point next week.
- Shanahan noted that for his evaluation process, the joint practices against the Raiders are more critical than the preseason contests because he is able to call plays normally, put his athletes in specific situations and there is unpredictability in the way games unfold.
Camp Highlights:
- Quarterback Sam Darnold took the first set of second-team drills on Monday. He and Trey Lance did their usual swap out every team period during 11-on-11 drills.
- Defensive lineman Austin Bryant had three would-be sacks during 11-on-11 drills.
- Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles picked off a pass early in team drills which was one of two interceptions netted by the defense. He nearly intercepted a pass intended for wideout Chris Conley shortly after making his grab.
- Offensive plays of the day: Purdy threw three-straight touchdown passes during the team's red zone drills to wide receivers Jauan Jennings, Tay Martin and Willie Snead IV.
- Defensive play of the day: veteran safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. snagged his third interception of camp after a pass was tipped in the air during 11-on-11 drills. The pick was the sixth-overall of training camp for the defensive unit.
Check out the best images as players beat the heat at Saturday's training camp practice.
Camp Feature: DL Clelin Ferrell
With the team set to travel to Las Vegas on Tuesday, it's only fitting that the San Francisco 49ers participated in one of their longest and hottest practices of camp on the eve of their departure. Of course, even the steamiest day in Santa Clara won't compare to the triple-digit weather the team will likely encounter this coming week.
Defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell, who played four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, is all too familiar with the typical training camp weather of the southern Nevada desert.
"The heat definitely turns up a notch when you go to Vegas, but we are going to practice in the morning," Ferrell said. "We'll hopefully beat some of the heat.
"I think the guys are more so excited. I don't think they're worried about the heat. Definitely a lot of the coaches, I told them to bring some chapstick, some vaseline, wipe inside your nose. It gets pretty dry."
Ferrell's reunion with his former team is coming less than six months after signing on with San Francisco in free agency. The veteran defensive lineman was a regular during voluntary practices during the offseason and has seen his efforts pay off early in camp. Ferrell has been running with the first team defense, lining up alongside Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead and Drake Jackson.
"Just the aspect of being in a new environment has been really good for me," Ferrell said. "That's not to say the one I came from was a troubled one, but more so, understanding that being in a new group with the D-line, specifically, having Coach Chris (Kocurek) has been really big for me.
"I took a lot of the reading out of my game, and now, I am out there just reacting. I feel like we are just a pack of animals out there, and we're really just playing off of instinct."
In addition to his position coach and defensive line room helping the former first-round pick elevate his game, Ferrell has also had All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams keeping him sharp out on the field. It's a matchup he's grateful to be faced with day in and day out.
"That's a guy who I grew up watching," Ferrell said. "I'm from Richmond, Virginia. He played for Washington for a long time... He's a guy where, I see his game, it's a level to where I feel like I have to bring it every day to earn his respect.
"If I can go out there and potentially have success, then everything else really just comes... It can get chippy sometimes, but it's been nothing but a blessing."