The San Francisco 49ers edged past the Denver Broncos 21-20 to secure their first win at Levi's® Stadium for the 2023 slate. Three of the team's quarterbacks - Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold and Trey Lance - had the opportunity to be under center during Saturday night's matchup, and when the game came down to a last second field goal, rookie Jake Moody delivered a smooth sailing kick through the uprights from 32 yards out.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan delivered team updates on Sunday following the victory over Denver.
Wide receiver Danny Gray (shoulder), defensive lineman Kerry Hyder Jr. (stinger) and running back Jeremy McNichols (hamstring) all sustained injuries against the Broncos. Gray's injury, an SC joint sprain, appears to be most significant of the three. While the second-year receiver was able to avoid a fracture, Shanahan does not expect him to be ready for the start of the regular season.
"We were worried it was a broken collarbone which is usually about eight weeks," Shanahan said. "It's similar to what George Odum is dealing with."
Gray's official timeline is still unclear. Meanwhile, Hyder Jr.'s status is up in the air for the team's third preseason game versus the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday. McNichols will likely be out for a "few weeks."
On a positive note, the following players should rejoin the team at some point this week.
- TE George Kittle
- DL Kalia Davis
- DL Javon Kinlaw
- RB Elijah Mitchell
- DL Drake Jackson
- LB Dre Greenlaw
The Cornerback Competition Continues
The 49ers coaching staff tested more cornerback rotations against the Broncos as they search for their Week 1 starting lineup. Veteran corner Charvarius Ward is the proven CB1 on the outside, and over the course of training camp and the preseason, Deommodore Lenoir, Ambry Thomas, Samuel Womack III and Isaiah Oliver have been moved around and seen work at both the outside corner spot and at the nickelback position.
On Saturday, Lenoir logged some reps at nickel, a position he played in relief of an injured Jimmy Ward in early 2022. He also has experience working opposite of Charvarius Ward following the season ending ACL injury to Emmanuel Moseley in Week 5 of last season.
"We just wanted to get a look at Deommodore Lenoir inside. We worked him that way in practice this week," Shanahan said. "He did a good job of it in his three days of it. We wanted to give him some reps in the game."
