SANTA CLARA — The 49ers put on the pads for the first time Sunday.
There will be collisions and the clashing of shoulder pads and a physicality which wasn’t allowed during their first three days of training camp before taking Saturday off to rest and recover.
But the days of two-a-days and pit drills are long gone, as the NFL has gradually taken a more sensible approach to football in July and August. The goal isn’t to whip a team into shape through constant contact as much as it is to get to the starting line in Week 1 with players that are healthy and more fresh than their predecessors.
When the 49ers held their first practice, coach Kyle Shanahan wanted his team focused on “keeping it light” rather than proving themselves physically.
“My biggest thing is guys just not being too eager because everyone’s so gung-ho and you don’t have the pads on yet,” Shanahan said. “So just trying our tails off to keep everyone off the ground and I think we did pretty good for the most part.”
Indeed, the 49ers stressed tempo and execution and there have been no reported injuries. That will change soon, perhaps as early as Sunday.
Two-a-days were abolished in 2011 in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Some teams even practiced three times a day. Practices were often a test of manhood from Day 1.
Thinking back on it, veteran offensive run-game coordinator Chris Foerster conceded it wasn’t the smartest way to operate.
“I did it as a college player and then the NFL,” Foerster said. “You come in the first day, stretch, have about 10 minutes of individual (drills), next thing you know, you’re banging on each other for the next two hours. You’re like, ‘Holy cow.’ You just come off a summer vacation, next thing you know you’re in a full-fledged scrimmage within 20 minutes of practice.”
Defensive tackle Arik Armstead is the 49ers’ longest-tenured player, entering his ninth season. He has never known two-a-days in the NFL but has noticed the gradual change in training camp philosophy.
“The league has changed since I’ve been here, but I think it’s changed for the better,” Armstead said. “Definitely used to be a little rougher. I think it’s better for the players and the longevity of our season. We don’t need to win a game today. We need to win games when the season starts.”
Even with the pads on, players won’t be tackling to the ground. Defenders will be urged to square up and make contact without finishing up as they would on Sunday in a regular season. Offensive linemen won’t be cut-blocking teammates.
Quarterbacks Brock Purdy, Trey Lance, Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen will be strictly off-limits for defenders rushing the passer.
“You hear a difference. Feel a difference? Obviously, there’s a little bit of a difference in terms of throwing, you have to get used to throwing with pads on a little bit,” Darnold said. “You’re not really getting touched at practice as a quarterback or hopefully you’re not getting touched as a quarterback during practice.”
Guardian Caps, the mushroom-like padded shells which cover the helmet to reduce the impact of sub-concussive hits, have been expanded in terms of use in 2023. A year ago, the caps were were mandated in camp for offensive and defensive linemen, tight ends and linebackers.
Running backs and fullbacks were added to the list this season, and the use of caps will extend through training camp, preseason and into the regular season.
Another plus regarding the caps in the eyes of Shanahan: Quarterbacks are less likely to break finger or a hand when finishing a throw when it strikes a cushioned helmet.
It’s a more controlled mayhem, with an emphasis on intensity and competition with a much lower level of violence. Taking that explosiveness to the limit before backing off has its challenges for coaches.
“To become a good pass blocker, a good run blocker, you need a lot of reps and you need live reps,” Foerster said. “How many live reps can you give a guy in practice before it becomes the point of diminishing returns?
“Maybe you shorten his career by a few years. Maybe there’s a risk of injury. So, you have to make everything in practice as much like a game as you can without risking injury. That, to me, is the goal.”
Another factor in the reduced intensity is that most players show up ready to go. They depart from the offseason program for 40 days off with instructions to get to training camp already in condition.
There are no such restrictions on the coaches, who arrive before players to recover from their rest and relaxation.
“That’s why we come back a little bit early so we can get the cobwebs out and the stuff I do on my 40 days away that I don’t want the players to do,” Shanahan said.