The San Francisco 49ers have completed the voluntary portion of their offseason workout program and are now working their way through a three-day mandatory minicamp. This week's practices are the final ones before the team breaks for 40 days ahead of training camp.
Below are the takeaways from the 49ers first open minicamp workout:
Running back Christian McCaffrey put pen to paper on a two-year extension that will keep him in red and gold through the 2027 season.
The reigning AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year is staying in The Bay for the foreseeable future. McCaffrey came to the 49ers via a 2022 mid-season trade and his impact on San Francisco's offense was immediate. The 49ers went on to score 30-plus points in seven of their final 10 regular season contests and finished top five in yards per game. In 2023, that production continued. The team closed out the year as a top-two offense in yards per game (398.4) and top three in points per game (28.9), and McCaffrey was once again one of the workhorses behind the offensive success. During his OPOY campaign, he led the NFL in rushing yards (1,459) and yards from scrimmage (2,023) while finishing tied for the most total touchdowns (21).
"I really appreciate the players on the team. Any time you sign an extension, obviously, you are individually really happy but then you also have to think about the other guys on the team who helped you get there and are a big part of your individual success," McCaffrey said. "I'm really thankful that I am on a team with guys like that - with a great staff, overall great organization that takes care of the players. I've had nothing but an amazing experience in my time here, and I'm really fired up that I'm staying."
Cornerback Charvarius Ward shared details of his offseason core muscle surgery and entering the final year of his current contract with the 49ers.
Ward noted that his core muscle injury is something he's been dealing with for the past four years, dating back to his time with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was one of a few players rehabbing on the sidelines of the team's mandatory minicamp, however, he does expect to be full-go in time for training camp.
"It just started to get a little worse over time, the grind of a football season," Ward said. "It started wearing on my body a lot, so I just felt like I had to get (surgery) done. I was balling the second half of the season, so it really didn't take much of a toll on me or it didn't seem like it."
Wideout Deebo Samuel Sr. spoke about developing his offseason routine and his first impressions of San Francisco's two drafted receivers.
Samuel Sr. is one of several veterans that have been on hand for at least a portion of the voluntary parts of the team's offseason workout program. The wideout joined practices in Phase Three, so he's had the opportunity to participate in practices with the newest additions to the receiver room which include first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall and fourth-round selection Jacob Cowing.
"I've been really impressed," Samuel Sr. said. "Just going back and watching Ricky, he's very fluid in a lot of routes. He's got really good hands."
He went on to reflect on his time as a rookie receiver and noted that this is "one of the most complicated offenses" he's been a part of and that it's a constant learning process in San Francisco.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan detailed the 49ers decision to bring in free agent tight end Logan Thomas, who is entering his ninth season in the league and spent the last four years with the Washington Commanders.
Thomas joins a tight end room headed up by veteran All-Pro George Kittle and also includes Brayden Willis, Jake Tonges, Eric Saubert, Mason Pline and Cameron Latu. The tight end was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. Throughout his eight-year NFL career with the Cardinals (2014), Buffalo Bills (2017-18), Detroit Lions (2019) and Washington Commanders (2020-23) he has appeared in 94 games (57 starts) and registered 219 receptions for 2,002 yards and 16 touchdowns.
"I really wanted to up the competition there with the group and get a guy in there who has had success in this league, in the run and pass game, who has been on a few teams and done it before," Shanahan said. "We like our group and there's some competition there, but having the opportunity, at this point in the season, to be able to add a veteran like Logan, with his skill set and be able to get him in here to come compete and him being ready for it, was something we were kind of pumped to pull off at this time. We're just going have him watch this week because he just got here today, and we'll give him a chance to come in into training camp and compete with those guys."
