49ers Rb Isaac Guerendo, Cb Renardo Green Stand Out In Return To Practice

49ers RB Isaac Guerendo, CB Renardo Green stand out in return to practice originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SANTA CLARA — On the first play of 11-on-11 work during 49ers practice on Tuesday, running back Isaac Guerendo took a handoff from quarterback Brock Purdy.

On the second play, cornerback Renardo Green broke up a pass at the sideline intended for Jacob Cowing.

The 49ers continued to be plagued by injuries in their second preseason game of the summer on Saturday, but they got a few key pieces back on the field when they returned to practice after two days off.

Guerendo and Green topped the list, and they wasted no time getting into the action.

“Both of those guys, it was really good to get back, and they stayed back,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I’m always nervous the first time. That’s why we put them through a big protocol before they get back.

“For Guerendo, it was about getting his shoulder to heal, and he was able to keep his conditioning great. Renardo’s (injury) being a hamstring, it took a lot longer. We were a lot safer with them making sure they could be full-go this week.”

Guerendo’s return comes at an opportune time. The 49ers placed running back Patrick Taylor Jr. on injured reserve as he is scheduled to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. Also, rookie running back Corey Kiner is expected to miss more than a month with a severe high-ankle sprain.

Guerendo, the presumptive backup to Christian McCaffrey, had a heavy workload in his first practice since sustaining a shoulder injury on Aug. 2. McCaffrey took part in individual drills but was not on the field for 11-on-11 work.

Guerendo had eight rushing attempts and a couple of receptions. He made a nice catch down the right sideline on a pass from Purdy just before defensive back Chase Lucas could get there.

Green returned to his spot with the 49ers’ first-team defense after missing more than three weeks of practices with a hamstring injury.

Defensive end Nick Bosa (neck soreness), defensive linemen Sam Okuayinonu (groin) and Jordan Elliott (back), and safety Jason Pinnock (heel) also returned to the practice field.

Here are other observations and notes from 49ers practice:

— Newly signed quarterback Nate Sudfeld took limited reps during practice after signing with the club. The 49ers brought Sudfeld to Santa Clara after backup quarterback Mac Jones sustained a minor knee sprain Saturday against the Raiders. Jones will sit out this week. Shanahan said he expects Jones to be available for the first game of the regular season.

— Shanahan said he has not decided whether Purdy will play Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers in the final preseason game. Sudfeld is likely to see action, along with Carter Bradley. Sudfeld and Bradley are now in competition to be the 49ers’ third quarterback.

— Right guard Dominick Puni (knee) might not be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, Shanahan said.

Rookie Connor Colby worked with the first-team offense at right guard, while Nick Zakelj and Spencer Burford are options as Week 1 starters if Puni is unavailable, Shanahan said.

— Presumptive starting left guard Ben Bartch remains out with an elbow injury. Zakelj took first-team reps in his place.

— Purdy and receiver Ricky Pearsall hooked up on the offensive play of practice. On a third-and-4 during a move-the-ball period, Pearsall made a fantastic over-the-shoulder grab of a Purdy pass at the right sideline for 36 yards.

— Purdy and George Kittle hooked up on a nice back-shoulder pass along the sideline for 23 yards against tight coverage from linebacker Luke Gifford.

— Cowing came up hobbling after an incomplete pass on the sideline. He missed three weeks with a hamstring injury, and his physical condition was not immediately known following practice.

— Third-year safety Ji’Ayir Brown, who appears to be competing against rookie Marques Sigle for a starting job, got his day off to a good start when he intercepted a Purdy pass intended for receiver Malik Turner.

— Kicker Jake Moody rode the momentum of Saturday over into practice. He was 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts. He was 5-of-6 against the Raiders, including a 44-yarder with 37 seconds remaining to tie the game and a 59-yarder for the win.

— Rookie Mykel Williams, the 49ers’ first-round draft pick, remains day to day after sustaining a hyperextended knee nearly two weeks ago.

— Just prior to the 49ers breaking into 11-on-11 work, Shanahan called the team up to deliver a message. The 49ers did not practice Sunday or Monday, and he wanted to set the tone for the day of work. “Sometimes it takes halfway through practice and you got to call guys up and say, ‘Hey, guys, get your crap together,’” Shanahan said. “I wanted to make sure I got that out of the way before (practice) started.”

— Linebacker Curtis Robinson, who is working his way back from ACL surgery cut short last season, delivered a big hit on tight end Jake Tonges. Robinson took responsibility, admitting that he made a mistake for the kind of hit that is not usually acceptable in practice. He apologized to Tonges.

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