HENDERSON, Nev. — Davante Adams burst off the line and within seconds, Jimmy Garoppolo’s well-placed pass came his way, but so did 49ers defenders Oren Burks and Charvarius Ward.
The collision result: Adams limped off with a lower leg injury, eventually heading on his own for the locker room.
“Unfortunately Adams went down,” 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said. “I thought it was a bang-bang play, definitely not intentional, and I hope he has a speedy recovery, because he’s one of the top players in the league.”
Even if it’s “not crazy serious,” as Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said, endangering a top player is always feared in summertime football, and Adams, a Bay Area native, is their offense’s best weapon.
But that’s not necessarily why the bulk of the 49ers’ starting players will sit out Sunday’s preseason opener against the Raiders. Another driving factor is the starters’ immense workload in Friday’s joint practice.
Brock Purdy will not play in Sunday’s opener at Allegiant Stadium, as Trey Lance will play most of the first half and Sam Darnold will handle most of the second-half duties, coach Kyle Shanahan said on KNBR 680-AM after practice.
“Practice, you get it raw, exactly what it’s going to be,” 49ers leading receiver Brandon Aiyuk said. “Games are a little different and there’s not as much one-on-one work.”
That especially goes for Purdy. He wasn’t perfect in either practice, but these desert duels did him well, especially in terms of the high pitch count he was able to handle with his surgically repaired right elbow.
Purdy was 17-of-26 Friday, with the low being an interception and the high being a touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel. More pertinent, Purdy served as the quarterback in 5-of-6 periods, amounting to 37 snaps for him.
Aiyuk added: “You get a period that might be good, one that might be alright. It’s pretty much that game situation where you go through the flows, the ups and downs, of a game.”
Left tackle Trent Williams is not concerned about the Purdy-led offense’s ups and downs. “Not at all. I have faith in coach. I have faith in Brock,” Williams said. “It’s preseason and the guy just got back from six-month rehab. I’m definitely not putting too much into a practice rep or practice interception. I don’t think about it one second.”
Purdy’s workload Friday meant limited duty for Lance (1-of-2, five snaps), Darnold (3-of-3, four snaps) and No. 4 afterthought Brandon Allen (no full-team snaps).
The 49ers did not appear to sustain any serious injuries against the Raiders, although linebacker Dre Greenlaw left early from Thursday’s session with a hamstring issue that kept him out Friday.
NO VEGAS TITLE BOUT
The closest these former Bay Area neighbors came to squaring off with fists was when Samuel and Raiders’ safety Tre’von Moehrig had to be separated. Overall, things were so civil that over 40 linemen from both teams merged to cool off inside a climate-controlled room in the midst of Friday’s practice.
Things were definitely more physical and less civil about 15 years ago when the Raiders hosted the 49ers in Napa, as Frank Gore attested after viewing Friday’s practice and recalling how hard he knocked Raiders linebackers around in that 2009 camp.
McDaniels liked how spirited and clean the practices went, adding that he’d be in favor of more in future years.
TRENT WILLIAMS’ CHALLENGER
Maxx Crosby proved a worthy sparring partner for 49ers’ All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who said: “Being able to work with him closely and get some dialogue back and forth, it helped both of us out. I have a lot of respect for his game and I’m a big fan of his. He’s slippery.
“It’s the closest thing we’ll get to not only game speed but Nick (Bosa). You know we miss him Nick and not having him every day.”
With Bosa entrenched in a contract dispute and not at camp, the 49ers’ starting defensive ends Friday were Kerry Hyder Jr. and Clelin Ferrell; Drake Jackson (hamstring) remained out.
WILLIAMS’ RETIREMENT PLAN
A month after turning 35, Williams moved closer to his goal of playing past 40.”I don’t know how realistic it is. We’ve seen people do it. It’s definitely a goal of mine,” said Williams, an All-Pro each of the last two years. “I want to see how long I can push this thing. I want to see how long I can stay at the top of my game, how long can I fight Father Time off. When he wins, you’ll know he wins, and I’ll hang them up.
“But at age 38, 39, 41, I’m not going to leave anything in the tank. So if I feel I have something to offer to the game, I’m going to be suiting up. … If Kyle tells me, ‘Hey, I think it’s time, you had a great career,’ then it’s time. As long as I’m working for the San Francisco 49ers and I feel up to doing it, I’m going to do it as long as I can, as hard as I can.”
HEALTH UPDATES
Left tackle Jaylon Moore returned from a bruised knee and worked at left tackle, where he is vying for a backup role with Matt Pryor and Leroy Watson. … Wide receiver Danny Gray did not practice for a second straight day because of soreness. … Running back Elijah Mitchell and tight end George Kittle did not practice because of adductor (groin) injuries. … Rookie defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (hamstring) returned to limited action.
PRACTICE SNAPSHOTS
While Christian McCaffrey had an ample amount of touches (six runs, three catches) in a pass-heavy practice, Ty Davis-Price is looking like a valid backup. Davis-Price scored on a run and a reception. … Cameron Latu atoned for dropping a potential Lance touchdown pass Thursday by nabbing one from him in Friday’s 7-on-7 drills. Lance’s next pass got intercepted by Duke Shelley. … Purdy’s running ability saw him scramble for a fourth-and-1 conversion, and later score on a quarterback draw in a red-zone drill …. Aiyuk had a team-high four receptions, followed by Deebo Samuel (three), Kyle Juszczyk (two) and Jauan Jennings (two). … Robert Spillane intercepted a Purdy pass that went low toward Willie Snead IV. … Defensive lineman Breeland Speaks, a NFL journeyman but more recently the USFL’s sack leader, made his practice debut upon signing a one-year deal. … Cornerback Anthony Averett went on Injured Reserve.
MIKE SHANAHAN’S ENCORE
Mike Shanahan strolled the Raiders’ practice field once again, nearly 35 years after serving as their coach. Only this time, he wore a bright red, 49ers polo shirt with his black shorts, as he watched his son, Kyle, operate a well-scripted practice in his seventh year as the 49ers’ coach.
Late Raiders czar Al Davis fired the older Shanahan after a 1-3 start in 1989, and a 7-9 mark his previous season. Mike Shanahan went on to win multiple Super Bowl, as the 49ers offensive coordinator (1994) and the Denver Broncos coach (1997, ’98), and he is a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s coach/contributor category. The Raiders interviewed him in 2015 before hiring Jack Del Rio.
