Why the 49ers are Excited for Joint-Practice With Denver

There is one aspect of joint-practice with the Broncos that is getting the 49ers coaches excited the most.

May 9, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, right, confers with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh during the teamís rookie minicamp. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

A breath of fresh air is about to hit the San Francisco 49ers at training camp.

The Denver Broncos are coming to town to not only play the first preseason game against the 49ers this week, but to hold a joint practice with them as well. 

No longer will the 49ers get the repetitiveness and staleness of practicing against their teammates. They will now get a freshness with new players to practice against on Thursday. 

That alone will benefit both teams, getting them energized. It’s part of why joint practice is higher up on the totem pole of importance for Kyle Shanahan over the preseason games. 

But another reason he likes it and why the 49ers are excited for it is to see how their rookies will fare. The joint practice with the Broncos will mark the second challenge for their rookies. 

The rookie litmus test

The first was OTAs and training camp, as they got to compete with the veterans for the first time. Facing the Broncos will serve as the first litmus test for the coaches to see where their rookies stand. 

As good as they think their rookies are now, seeing them against a brand-new opponent will allow the coaches to see where everyone stands.

“I think that's why we're all excited for Denver to come in,” Robert Saleh said. “Sometimes you get into a routine where you're recognizing the same bodies, same players, same stems, same formations, so the encouraging thing is that they can learn when they see the same thing over and over again. 

Jul 23, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan (left) and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh confer during the first day of training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

“The challenge now is going to be a completely new opponent with no preparation because we're not preparing for Denver. We're just lining up. Just throwing it on the field and seeing how they play. So, we're really excited to see how it goes and fully expecting some lumps along the way. But one thing is for certain, I do think that their competitive drive is going to be there.”

Saleh raises some excellent points throughout his comments. The rookies may be playing great because they are picking up on tendencies from facing the same players.

Practicing with the Broncos removes that element. Saleh and the rest of the 49ers coaches will get to judge their rookies at face value. This is their time to measure exactly where the rookies are at.

Some of them will thrive, while others will struggle. Or maybe the rare of occurrence of all of them playing well or faltering will take place too.

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