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By Nicki Jhabvala, The Washington Post
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan had his team practice for an hour and 27 minutes with pads on Thursday for their most intense workout of Super Bowl LVIII week. Held at UNLV’s Fertitta Football Complex, the workout spent approximately 50 minutes on full-team drills after approximately 40 minutes of warm-ups and positional drills.
Shanahan came away pleased with the team’s pace and energy and noted that this practice was even better than Wednesday’s unpadded workout.
He was especially pleased with the play of quarterback Brock Purdy, who looked solid against the starting and reserve defensive units during the team’s periods.
“He’s had an amazing week,” Shanahan said. “Brock is excited.”
The 49ers didn’t waste a second in Thursday’s practice, moving quickly through 12 periods as Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and CBS’ 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 fully Thursday after taking his usual veteran’s day off Wednesday.
Tight end George Kittle (toe), defensive end Arik Armstead (knee/foot), cornerback Ambry Thomas (ankle) and linebacker Oren Burks (shoulder) were limited in practice Thursday. Defensive tackle Kalia Davis (ankle), whose practice window to return from injured reserve opened a couple of weeks ago, participated fully.
Shanahan’s message to his team this week has been to “keep sharpening your axe” and stay focused ahead of Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I think it’s been fantastic,” Shanahan said of his players’ attention to detail. “The first two days (of Super Bowl week) are always a challenge. Yesterday was very good, today was even better. “Having these two days in a row where we can get as close to our routine as possible is fantastic.”
The 49ers’ final practice, on Friday, begins at 1:20 pm PT. That night, players and coaches will spend time with their families at a team barbecue and then regroup on Saturday.
“I always say Friday is our weekend,” Shanahan said. “Our weekend usually starts around 4pm on Friday and ends when you go to bed.”
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