SANTA CLARA — Brock Purdy, Trent Williams, Deebo Samuel, Fred Warner and the 49ers’ other healthy front-line players saw plenty of work Tuesday in a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans.
And that is good enough for coach Kyle Shanahan.
“There won’t be many starters playing,” Shanahan said of the 49ers’ 2026 NFL preseason opener Thursday night against the Titans at Levi’s Stadium.
Those top players will be spectators, as the spotlight shifts to the team’s unproven players and the veterans who are fighting for spots on the regular-season roster.
Here are five notable players to watch as each puts on a 49ers uniform for the first time:
QB Kurtis Rourke
A seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, quarterback Kurtis Rourke did not suit up for the 49ers last year as he recovered from surgery to repair a torn ACL. Rourke toughed out his final season at Indiana with the knee condition.
He has been learning the 49ers’ system for more than a year. He is regularly seen after practice, going to a quiet corner of Levi’s Stadium to continue to study and watch film after practice.
On the field, his attributes are obvious. He is big and throws the ball very well. Rourke appears to be in good position to slot in as the 49ers’ No. 3 quarterback behind Purdy and Mac Jones. His performance in the preseason could determine whether he wins a spot on the 53-man roster or if he’ll be destined for the practice squad.
LB Jaden Dugger
Jaden Dugger, a fifth-round pick from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, is an ideal fit for the new scheme and terminology that defensive coordinator Raheem Morris brought to the 49ers.
Dugger’s college background consisted of one season at safety, one at edge and one at middle linebacker. In Morris’ system, the so-called “fever backer” is a position that, in theory, can tap into all of those skills that Dugger exhibited in college.
Dugger can do a little of everything.
“He’s a true 6-5, long arms and can run like a deer,” 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner said. “He’s not afraid of contact. He can play several different positions on the field. His retention of information, he plays with instincts. Those are things that can get you really excited about a player. But he is still a rookie. He makes rookie mistakes and he still makes rookie mistakes like anybody in that position.”
Dugger will make mistakes, but the true test will be how quickly he can self-identify his errors and fix them.
WR Will Pauling
The 49ers eliminated one player from the competition for the team’s punt return job. And wide receiver Will Pauling is still around.
The 49ers on Wednesday waived Junior Bergen, a seventh-round pick last year. Bergen spent all of last season on the practice squad.
Pauling has been impressive after signing with the 49ers as an undrafted rookie from Notre Dame. He did not handle punt-return chores in college, but he has looked surprisingly natural in that discipline. He receives high marks from 49ers wide receivers coach Leonard Hankerson in an important area.
“He’s tough, man,” Hankerson said. “I love Will. That kid comes in, he works, he stayed here the whole offseason. He’s the hammer in the running game.
“Right now, he’s been the most physical receiver, I’ll tell you that much.”
If Pauling can comfortably field punts in the preseason, he will put himself into strong contention for a roster spot.
CB Ephesians Prysock
The 49ers group of cornerbacks look vastly improved from a year ago, as they seem to have adapted well to Morris’ coverage techniques.
The 49ers selected cornerback Ephesians Prysock in the fourth round of the draft, but he certainly is not assured a spot on the 53-man roster. The 49ers have good depth at cornerback in training camp with Prysock joining Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Jack Jones, Darrell Luter, Nate Hobbs and Jakob Robinson.
Prysock (6-foot-3, 196 pounds) has to prove that he has the fluidity to hang with NFL receivers, and he could face some promising young players with the Titans, including Carnell Tate, Wan’Dale Robinson and Elic Ayomanor.
LB Larry Worth III
Larry Worth III received an invitation to the 49ers’ rookie minicamp, and he made the most of that opportunity when he impressed enough to become the only tryout player the team signed to a contract.
Worth (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) was a safety who walked on at Jacksonville State, where he played for two seasons before transferring to Arkansas. The 49ers see him as a versatile player — similar to Dugger — who can play on the line of scrimmage as well as off the ball.
“That’s going to take time to go from safety to linebacker,” 49ers linebacker coach K.J. Wright said. “It is doable, but it’s going to take some time. He’s used to being on the back end, and now he’s taking on a 300-pound lineman each and every play.”
Worth’s development hits an inflection point as he goes up against the Titans in his first preseason game.
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