49ers elevate Russell Gage, Curtis Robinson from practice squad to face Seahawks
“The 49ers opted against elevating running back Sincere McCormick from the practice squad.
Rookie running back Jordan James is listed as doubtful with a finger injury.“
Both Christian McCaffrey, Brian Robinson Jr. prepare as 49ers’ Week 1 starters ““I prepare like I’m going to start every game, regardless of Christian, him being a starter here,” Robinson said. “This is how I got to prepare — prepare like I’m ready to start at
any given moment. That’s how you become a starter in this league.”
Likewise, McCaffrey said on Friday he is taking the approach that he will be on the field when the season begins. McCaffrey missed the first eight games of last season with Achilles tendinitis in both legs. The 49ers originally identified his condition a year ago as a calf injury.“
49ers’ Christian McCaffrey plans to play vs. Seahawks after calf injury scare: ‘I feel great’ (paywall)
“Still, there are some differences between 2024 and now.
A year ago, McCaffrey was bothered by flare-ups of Achilles tendinitis in both legs throughout the summer, and he practiced sporadically as a result. This year, he was on hand throughout the spring and summer — with an occasional “veterans rest day” — and hadn’t been held out with an injury until Thursday. He was asked if he removed himself from the session out of an abundance of caution.
“Yeah,” he said. “I’m not supposed to go into anything that happened, but I felt like it was the smart thing to do to not finish the practice. Because I’ve been there before, and I’ve been my own worst enemy in situations like that. I’m proud of myself for not doing that again. Like I said, I went through a whole training camp (and) feel great about where I’m at.”
How Deommodore Lenoir won over 49ers, even his old enemy, and became captain (paywall)
“A yearslong beef between Lenoir and new 49ers nickel back Chase Lucas boiled over at the NFC Championship Game in 2024, when Lucas played for the opposing Lions. The two had exchanged trash-talking tweets dating to their college days. And no matter how much time passed, neither forgot his disdain for the other. A clip of their postgame confrontation went viral.
Mere months later, after the 49ers added Lucas via a one-year deal, Lenoir said he called assistant special teams coach Matthew Harper: “Why we sign him?” They did not speak a word to each other during the opening weeks of offseason workouts. No spats ensued. The occasional side-eyed stare sufficed.
“When I came here, I kind of already knew it was like, man, this is his house, this is his team,” Lucas said. “He’s been here, he got drafted here. I’m not coming here to cause problems. I feel like he found that out probably a month later.”….. Lucas was originally locker mates with Samuel, who warmly welcomed the former seventh-round pick, to the chagrin of Lenoir. “I had told Deebo, ‘You better not talk to him,’” he said. Samuel was friendly enough, at least until he learned of Lucas’ tidiness, or lack thereof.
The star wide receiver put in a complaint, according to Lucas, whose locker by the start of training camp had been promptly moved without notice — one down from Lenoir’s.
Such proximity helped bridge the gap from nemesis, to teammate, to friend.
“It ended up being the best situation,” Lucas said.
“Like my grandfather always said, your biggest enemy might be your best friend.”
Lenoir and Lucas ultimately realized they were more similar than different. Day 3 draft picks. Humble beginnings. And a hunger to match.“
Inside Nick Bosa’s quest to reach his peak: Secret might be in his 49ers rookie tape (paywall)
“His debut included Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a mindset that since has become “convoluted” as he has worked to add elements to a repertoire that was already elite.
“I think my rookie tape is kind of enlightening because I wasn’t thinking at all,” Bosa said to the Chronicle. “I was just going out there. I think there’s a certain skill set that I have, and it comes out naturally when I’m not thinking.”…Bosa cares deeply about his craft. At times, perhaps, too much. As he has labored to improve each season, adding to his pass-rushing arsenal, he also has dealt with stress partly because his own expectations and those of others have increased. He has combated anxiety by dabbling in meditation, visiting a team psychologist, staying off social media, reading books and focusing on family relationships that ground him.
Job stress didn’t inspire Bosa’s decision to get back to basics, but a byproduct, he said, has been a “peace of mind” entering his seventh season.
“The best things I do are a certain group of things that I can stray away from if I’m maybe trying to work on this during this camp and I’m trying to get better at this,” Bosa said. “I have these conversations every single year: What am I going to do to get better? I think it’s just about simplifying things and relying on what makes what I do elite. And everything else is just icing on the cake.
“In the NFL, everyone is too good to try to be elite at five different things. You are in the position you’re in for a reason. And you need to identify what makes you one of the best players in the league and make sure that’s the focus.”
