The 49ers are setting up for a short-week game in Minnesota. They had poor luck there without Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel last season, but both are back in the fold.
Injury updates
While they have some other early-season injury concerns, but nothing appears to be dire at this stage. They got some positive injury movement Thursday.
Both Dee Winters (ankle) and Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) had not practiced last week or on Wednesday. They returned to practice Thursday and moved fairly well.
Those were the most notable practice involvements. They were limited, as were all the limited players from Wednesday, in Talanoa Hufanga (ACL), Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles), Aaron Banks (calf) and Jauan Jennings (ankle), remained involved.
For the Vikings, wide receiver Jordan Addison (ankle) did not practice for the second day. Harrison Smith (hip) did not practice after practicing in full the day prior, while edge Andrew Van Ginkel (foot) went from being out of practice to limited. He had a monster game against the Giants with a sack and a pick-six.
Also limited for Minnesota were starting center Garrett Bradbury (knee) and starting right tackle Brian O'Neill (elbow).
Deommodore Lenoir with fond memories of Sam Darnold
Most folks were full of praise for Sam Darnold, or at least not openly critical of the 49ers backup quarterback.
"I do believe Sammy will pose a good challenge for us," Trent Williams said.
Deommodore Lenoir, meanwhile, chose a different tact. He hearkened back fondly to his practice reps against Darnold.
“I think I'll win that for sure. I believe I'll win," Lenoir said. "Me and Sam, we done have this connection, this connection, where he like to throw the ball to me. This week I’m coming, he know it. But I know he’s a talented player. He's gonna come ready to work. I know how he prepares. He gave us great looks when played here with us, just taking over the scout team, he was throwing dimes. So I know it's going to have to be tight, sticky coverage."
He was later asked about Brock Purdy's days on the scout team, and whether Lenoir had the same "connection" against the 49ers' current quarterback.
"He didn't. He was actually throwing dimes," Lenoir said. "So I respected him. I respected him because he was throwing dimes. He was coming out there... I would get him sometimes, but it was just like, he would throw the ball, and it would be like, 'Wow.'"
It's an interesting tact between former teammates.
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