By Nicki Jhabvala, The Washington Post
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — San Francisco 49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan had his team practice for an hour and 27 minutes in pads on Thursday for their most intense workout of Super Bowl LVIII Week. Held at UNLV’s Fertitta Football Complex, the workout devoted roughly 50 minutes to full team drills after roughly 40 minutes of warmups and positional drills.
Shanahan came away pleased with the team’s tempo and energy, noting this practice was even better than Wednesday’s non-padded workout.
He was especially happy with the play of quarterback Brock Purdy, who looked solid against both the starting and reserve defensive units during the team periods.
“He’s had a hell of a week,” Shanahan said. “Brock’s pumped up.”
The 49ers left no second to waste in Thursday’s practice, quickly moving through 12 periods as CBS’s Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Evan Washburn watched from the sideline.
San Francisco’s injury report remained the same, save for the return of left tackle Trent Williams, who practiced in full on Thursday after taking his usual veteran rest day on Wednesday.
Tight end George Kittle (toe), defensive end Arik Armstead (knee/foot), cornerback Ambry Thomas (ankle) and linebacker Oren Burks (shoulder) were all limited in Thursday’s workout. Defensive tackle Kalia Davis (ankle), whose practice window to return from injured reserve was opened a couple of weeks ago, participated fully.
Shanahan’s message to his team this week has been to “keep sharpening your axe” and maintain focus ahead of Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I think it’s been great,” Shanahan said of his players’ attention to detail. “The first two days [of Super Bowl week] are always a challenge. Yesterday was really good, today was even better. Having these two days in a row where we can get as close to our routine as possible is great.”
The 49ers’ final practice, on Friday, starts at 1:20 p.m. PT. That evening, players and coaches will get to spend time with their families at a team barbecue, then resume focus on Saturday.
“I always say Friday’s our weekend,” Shanahan said. “Our weekend usually starts about 4 p.m. on Friday and it ends whenever you go to bed.”
