San Francisco 49ers

Kaelon Black

RB

The rookie third-round pick operated as the starting running back with Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) inactive, and Black immediately recorded a five-yard gain on the 49ers' first play from scrimmage. The Indiana product also had eight- and nine-yard runs on San Francisco' second possession as he continued to make a strong case for the No. 2 job to open the regular season. Black saw backfield mate Sincere McCormick put together an impressive 6-53-1 line on the ground Thursday as well, but the former likely has the inside track to serve as McCaffrey's primary backup in a backfield where Jordan James (ribs) and Isaac Guerendo (PUP-pectoral) are also vying for roles.

De'Zhaun Stribling

WR

After posting a team-high seven catches for 63 yards in his professional debut during last Thursday's preseason loss to the Titans, Stribling, who was the second 49er to see a target against the Chargers, continued impressing by tying veteran KhaDarel Hodge for the team lead in receptions and receiving yards. The rookie second-round pick already was ticketed for a larger role than initially envisioned after Ricky Pearsall had season-ending PCL surgery earlier in August, but Stribling's ability to carry over the momentum from a strong training camp into the first pair of exhibitions has his arrow pointing upward even more as the regular season approaches.

Deebo Samuel Sr.

WR

Samuel and the rest of the healthy 49ers offensive starters were out there for the team's opening possession, and the veteran wideout ended up recording his first catch in a San Francisco uniform since Week 17 of the 2024 season. His reception came on the Niners' first play from scrimmage, and the 30-year-old figures to play a prominent role in the air attack throughout the 2026 season alongside new No. 1 receiver Mike Evans (quadriceps) and fellow offseason addition Christian Kirk (calf).

Brock Purdy

QB

Purdy was in on San Francisco's first possession and led the 49ers on a 12-play, 39-yard march where he recorded his first completion to Deebo Samuel before connecting on three occasions with rookie second-round pick De'Zhaun Stribling later in the drive. Purdy gave way to Mac Jones after that point, and given the former's checkered recent injury history, Thursday's game action is likely the last he'll see prior to a Week 1 showdown with the Rams in Melbourne, Australia.

Austen Pleasants

OT

Pleasants started at left tackle for a resting Trent Williams and moved over to left guard at some point in the contest. However, in the third quarter, he remained on the turf for a spell, and not longer after leaving the field, the 49ers ruled him out.

Renardo Green

CB

The cornerback made two solo tackles before leaving the contest. Green started all 16 games he played in, regular season and postseason, during his second NFL campaign a year ago, and he is projected to start again in 2026. If he can't return Thursday, Jack Jones and Ephesians Prysock could see more snaps.

George Kittle

TE

It was deemed an "encouraging" visit, per Schefter, after ElAttrache performed Kittle's surgery on his torn Achilles last season. Kittle has been aiming for a Week 1 return all along, and it appears to be attainable 21 days ahead of the Niners' kickoff with the Rams in Australia.

Christian McCaffrey

RB

McCaffrey remains idle with "tightness," though he was on the field for pregame warmups Thursday and looked to be moving around normally. Coach Kyle Shanahan has continued to downplay McCaffrey's "injury" and said Tuesday that CMC would be practicing if it were the regular season. There's been nothing to suggest McCaffrey is in any sort of danger of missing Week 1 against the Rams in three weeks.

Khalil Herbert

RB

Just three days after releasing Herbert, the Niners are bringing back the veteran running back after the team placed Patrick Taylor (undisclosed) on injured reserve in a corresponding move. Herbert carried the ball 16 times for 52 scoreless yards across seven regular-season appearances with the Jets last season. He faces an uphill battle to crack the 49ers' roster.

Patrick Taylor Jr.

RB

Taylor will spend the 2026 season on the Niners' injured list or he'll be released with an injury settlement, allowing him to look for work elsewhere. He missed all of last season following shoulder surgery. Taylor has carried the ball 104 times for 444 yards and two touchdowns across 47 career regular-season contests.

Titus Leo

DE

Leo wasn't picked up by another club after the 49ers waived him with an injury designation Tuesday, and now he's in line to be on IR for the whole 2026 campaign. His last regular-season action came with the Patriots back in 2024, when he played mostly on special teams over four games.

Brett Toth

C

questionable

Sam Okuayinonu

DT

questionable

Dominick Puni

G

questionable

Gracen Halton

DT

questionable

Nate Hobbs

CB

questionable

Kyle Juszczyk

FB

questionable

Luke Gifford

LB

questionable

Jakob Robinson

CB

Osa Odighizuwa

DT

Mykel Williams

DE

Despite the relatively discouraging update, Shanahan did not completely rule out the possibility of Williams being back up to full speed by the start of the regular season. Like Williams, fellow edge rusher Nick Bosa is also recovering from an ACL tear suffered last year, and the 49ers have already seen multiple other injuries on the front seven, so there's a strong possibility they will have to call on some unlikely players to begin the new campaign.

Nick Bosa

DE

Bosa continues to work toward a return to the field. The 49ers' defense is in desperate need of the star pass rusher's services after preseason game and joint practice failures on the defensive line. The 28-year-old is still considered week-to-week, with coach Kyle Shanahan saying Tuesday that the star is doing well. Bosa has a floor of 9.0 sacks when healthy, so the team will likely do whatever it takes to ensure he's on the field for the regular season.

Mike Evans

WR

Evans initially left Tuesday's session and had his left foot/ankle wrapped and iced, but he eventually moved that wrapping to his left quad. He previously missed early training-camp practices due to a quadriceps issue, so it appears to be a slight aggravation of the previous concern. Shanahan's comments indicate the 49ers aren't concerned about Evans' health, but the team likely will exercise caution with the veteran wide receiver with two preseason games remaining before Week 1.

Victor Dimukeje

DE

The linebacker suffered a knee injury and landed on the Giants' injured-reserve list last December, but his July tryouts with the 49ers and Vikings indicated that he was healthy again. Dimukeje played more on special teams than defense in each of the last two seasons, and he logged over 200 special-teams snaps across each of his first four campaigns in the NFL from 2021-2024, all with Arizona.

Marques Sigle

S

Sigle suffered an oblique injury during last Thursday's preseason contest against the Titans. The strong safety's full participation in Saturday's session implies he has moved past the issue and will be ready for next Thursday's preseason game against the Chargers. Sigle logged two tackles (one solo) against the Titans before finishing his night due to the oblique issue.