SANTA CLARA – Time to see who can be a one-day wonder — or more — for the 49ers in a joint practice.
The 49ers will host the Denver Broncos on Thursday morning for a single practice that: (a) breaks up training camp monotony; and (b) serves as the true warmup for first-stringers who’ll be safely shelved from Saturday’s preseason opener at Levi’s Stadium.
Next week, the 49ers are expected to repeat that schedule, with an Aug. 14 joint practice at the Las Vegas Raiders’ facility before their preseason game Aug. 16 at Allegiant Stadium.
“I’m more excited just going against someone once (in practice),” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “In the past I’ve always done two days, and I’m always really excited by the end of the first day. I’m always wishing we didn’t have to go the second day.”
A year ago, Shanahan and the injury-riddled 49ers scuttled plans for a joint practice against the New Orleans Saints in Southern California. Two weeks into this camp, the 49ers again have seen attrition hit their roster, but not enough to jeopardize a duel with Denver.
“It’s easier when it’s one day than two and we’ll have to be smart at some positions,” said Shanahan, who will confer with Broncos counterpart Sean Payton to devise a win-win plan.
It will be a reunion, too. The Broncos have a handful of ex-49ers: right tackle Mike McGlinchey, defensive tackle D.J. Jones, wide receiver Trent Sherfield, and, by way of this past March’s free agency, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga. Greenlaw is battling a quadriceps injury so his availability is in question; Hufanga made the starting defense’s first interception of camp last Friday.
“Dre’s going to bring it. I felt him in pregame a couple times (on the 49ers),” right tackle Colton McKivitz said. “It’ll be good to see them, play against them. They’ll be juiced up. So will we.”
“I had a lot of great moments, a lot of moments of injuries,” Hufanga told the Denver Post of his 49ers tenure. “But for me, it was a special place in my heart.”
McKivitz anticipates a “little scuffle here or there” but is excited to face a new defensive scheme, which deploys three down linemen and quality edge rushers.
Shanahan was in his first season as 49ers coach in 2017 when the Broncos visited for joint practices and feisty sessions erupted. Since then, the 49ers’ joint practices in camp came on the road – at the Houston Texans (2018), at the Broncos (2019), at the Los Angeles Chargers (2022), at the Minnesota Vikings (2022), and at the Raiders (2023).
The 49ers have won their past two preseason meetings with the Broncos — and gone on to reach the Super Bowl, in the 2019 and ’23 seasons.
Another benefit awaits with just a one-day scrimmage, as Shanahan described: “Usually, they get killed the second day and everyone ends up fighting and it just ends up not being worth it. So, I think one day should be a little easier.”
The 49ers are 11 practices into this camp, and their much-relied-upon rookie class is delivering encouraging results. That especially holds true on a rebuilt defense with linemen Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, C.J. West and Sebastian Valdez. Saleh acknowledged that Upton Stout has “the inside track” on securing the nickel job but first must prove himself through the three preseason games and further practices
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“We’re all excited for Denver to come in,” Saleh said. “Sometimes you get into a routine where you’re recognizing the same bodies, the same players, the same (route) stems, the same formations. … The challenge now is, it will be a completely new opponent with no preparation.
“We’re lining up, throwing them on the field and see how they play,” Saleh added. “Fully expecting some lumps along the way. But one thing is for certain, their competitive drive is going to be there.”