The San Francisco 49ers had a shake up to their schedule following the preseason opener versus the Tennessee Titans. The team was originally slated to head to Irvine this week for joint practices with the New Orleans Saints before hosting their NFC South friends on Sunday in Santa Clara. However, injuries to a number of San Francisco's players factored into the teams reaching a mutual agreement to cancel their plans in Southern California.
"It was tough because we like to do it. In the long run, I waited so long to make the decision because of how much we enjoy doing it," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in his press conference on Monday. "When we realized we were just doing it because we enjoy doing it and trying to change the monotony, that really didn't make it worth it. It really wasn't the best thing for our team with where we are injury wise. (We) love doing that stuff and love to go out there, but the risk was too much. It outweighed the reward."
The head coach noted that the 49ers had 23 players who could not practice on Thursday, leaving a large workload on the rest of the team against the Titans. Additionally, two more players emerged from Saturday's exhibition game with more significant injuries. Cornerback Ambry Thomas (forearm) and defensive lineman Kalia Davis (knee) will both need to undergo surgery, with Davis expected to miss half the season.
While joint practices have been a useful tool in the team's ramp up to the regular season, Shanahan feels good about what the team can accomplish at 49ers headquarters.
"I think I've said I value them more than the preseason games a little bit, but I also value practice more than the games," Shanahan said. "So, there's really no difference in that... I just think it breaks up the monotony of camp, but we can generate that stuff with ourselves. Sometimes it's nice to go against different schemes, but it all changes once the year starts anyway."
Because the 49ers dipped into their depth at several positions on Saturday, they opened their practice week with a non-padded workout with veterans and starters taking most of the snaps. Linebacker Fred Warner, who missed the tail end of the week with foot irritation, was back on the field. Other players returning to practice included linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. and wide receiver Jacob Cowing and Danny Gray.
The defense also has a shot at getting safety Talanoa Hufanga, who is working back from an ACL tear he suffered in Week 11, eased back into practice soon. According to Shanahan, his fourth-year safety is getting a check up Thursday and good news from that could result in Hufanga being back on the field "sooner than later."
