{"id":7931,"date":"2026-08-28T12:06:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T12:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7931"},"modified":"2026-08-28T12:06:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T12:06:14","slug":"inman-49ers-eager-to-spring-forward-into-australian-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7931","title":{"rendered":"Inman: 49ers eager to spring forward into Australian adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"
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LAS VEGAS \u2013 Next stop for the 49ers: Australia.<\/p>\n

Almost.<\/p>\n

After a mandatory three-day break, the 49ers and their initial 53-man roster will reconvene Monday at their Santa Clara facility. Practices are set for Monday and Wednesday (and possibly Tuesday) before their NFL-chartered flight to Melbourne later Wednesday.<\/p>\n

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\u201cOur team is ready to go. It\u2019s quick, right? Like next week we\u2019re going to be there,\u201d quarterback Mac Jones said after their 18-12 preseason finale win Thursday over the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.<\/p>\n

The 49ers\u2019 readiness can\u2019t be understated. Training camp and preseason are done. This playoff-caliber unit is so ready to get on with the regular season and a worldwide reveal against the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (Sept. 10).<\/p>\n

Left tackle Trent Williams is certainly ready. He didn\u2019t skip a practice all camp, even at age 38.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of taking days off, we just modified reps each day so I could stay in the same groove, get the same rhythm, and get in football shape,\u201d Williams said in an exclusive interview. \u201cI feel great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Same goes for how he sees the 49ers\u2019 chances this season.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cObviously having a veteran quarterback at the helm is the biggest challenge, and we have that,\u201d Williams said, referring to Brock Purdy. \u201cWe just have to play as one unit around him and we have a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones, who went 5-3 as Purdy\u2019s stand-in last season, also is brimming with optimism.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really looking forward to this season,\u201d Jones said, \u201cbecause I feel we\u2019ve got a good team \u2013 so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aside from losing wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to season-ending knee surgery early in camp, the 49ers\u2019 other health concerns should ease by Week 1, so long as very important comebacks remain on track.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThere are guys that are going to be close, like Mykel (Williams), like (George) Kittle, who\u2019s taken a step,\u201d said coach Kyle Shanahan, who is looking near full health six weeks after a harrowing car crash.<\/p>\n

While the 49ers weigh whether to activate Williams (knee) off the Physically Unable to Perform list, Kittle was cleared last Sunday and participated in back-to-back practices, fueling further optimism his Achilles could be ready for the Rams.<\/p>\n

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Added Shanahan: \u201cWe\u2019ll see how (Nick) Bosa does in these practices. We have guys who are healthy and doing good, but are they ready to get back and play right away?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have these mandatory three days off but then we have 2 \u00bd days before we get on the plane,\u201d Shanahan added. \u201cWe\u2019ll at least get two big (practices) in, maybe a third. I\u2019m really curious to see how it goes those three days before we go down there.\u201d<\/p>\n

By 1 p.m. Sunday, the 49ers must shave their roster to 53 players, while also plotting the 16-man practice squad that often plays a factor in their near-annual march to the playoffs under Shanahan.<\/p>\n

Winning Thursday night\u2019s preseason finale in Las Vegas didn\u2019t just give the 49ers bragging rights over their former neighbor. It gave the few roster-bubble players a chance to state their final cases, such as wide receiver Jordan Watkins (153 all-purpose yards) and defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (sack).<\/p>\n

Did Watkins do enough to crack a veteran-laden offense that surely has a spot reserved for rookie wide receiver De\u2019Zhaun Stribling?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very veteran. A lot of guys have been here for a very long time,\u201d Watkins said of the roster. \u201cBut I feel you\u2019ve got to get in where you fit in. Kyle and John drafted me here for a reason, and that\u2019s because they see I can make plays in this offense and that I fit. I\u2019ve just got to figure out what that reason is and embrace it to the best of my ability.\u201d<\/p>\n

This Vegas visit, their fourth in as many preseasons, also was used to afford catch-up reps to players who\u2019ve missed time with injuries, such as defensive end Keion White (sack, third-down run stop) and running back Jordan James (eight carries, 35 yards).<\/p>\n

Defensive tackle Alfred Collins may have played in 16 games as a rookie, but he was deployed into Thursday night\u2019s second half for a reason.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a real late start, which is not his fault. He had some big surgeries (including on his shoulder) to get over this offseason, so he\u2019s got as late a start as anyone,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cThat\u2019s why it was important for him to play (Thursday\u2019s finale). He went two drives into the third quarter, which is more than we usually do for him, but he\u2019s a little bit behind. \u2026 He\u2019ll be ready by Week 1.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that is coming fast, to a land far away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish we played them (at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood) for what we usually look at as a home game. But we\u2019ll see how it is in Australia,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cWe\u2019ll play the Rams wherever. Going there is what it is, but it\u2019s going to be a fun atmosphere and always when we play the Rams it\u2019s a big, tough game.\u201d<\/p>\n

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After a mandatory three-day break, the 49ers and their initial 53-man roster will reconvene Monday at their Santa Clara facility, then travel to Melbourne later in the week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nInman: 49ers eager to spring forward into Australian adventure - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7931\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inman: 49ers eager to spring forward into Australian adventure - 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