SANTA CLARA — One of the 49ers’ preseason mysteries appears solved, in terms of who’ll get named the starter at right guard. The name?
“Dom. Dominick. Puni. Pun-Dawg. Rookie. Everything,” rookie Dominick Puni said before Tuesday’s practice.
Puni has taken all first-team reps at right guard since Day 3 of training camp, once Jon Feliciano (knee) and Spencer Burford (finger) created a vacancy there.
Feliciano, who finished last season as the starter at that spot, recently underwent knee surgery and will start this season on Injured Reserve, with the potential for a midseason return, coach Kyle Shanahan announced. Feliciano practiced only a few days in training camp. He re-signed on a one-year deal in March, indicating that this could be the 10th and final season of his career.
Meanwhile, Burford is rejoining drills after missing full-team work for three weeks, and even though he started the first seven games last season, his absence has made Puni’s case stronger.
A left tackle last season at Kansas, Puni said it took him only a week to feel comfortable switching to guard with the 49ers. He said his 6-foot-5, 313-pound frame affords him versatility where he’s not too tall to play center and not too short to play tackle, if needed.
On Sept. 9, the 49ers will need him to play right guard against the New York Jets in a Monday Night Football opener. “it’s definitely in the back of his head but we still have to go play Vegas on Friday, so I’m just taking it day by day,” Puni said. “That’s how I’ve done things my whole life, especially with football.”
Among Puni’s admirers is linebacker Fred Warner, who was mic’d up for a team video series at a recent practice and told Nick Bosa: “Hey, you know who can move kind of good is the rookie, 77, Puni. He can move good, bro. They ran bounce or toss over that way, and I’m trying to run past him, and he was hanging with me. I had to punch to get off him. He’s got good size to him, he can move. Obviously, he’s young, so he’s only going to get stronger.”
Puni heard that “crazy compliment,” and so did his family and friends, all of which Puni modestly says he’ll forever cherish it: “That’s something I’ll look back on whenever I’m done with football, and the fact he’s probably a Hall of Famer, what he’s saying about me is pretty cool.”
Puni added that Warner is constantly encouraging him in the locker room, too, while defensive tackles are also helping with the rookie learning curve. “This D-line group gives you everything, from bull (rush) to speed to power to finesse,” said Puni, who singled out Maliek Collins for exposing him to “everything in the bag.”
MORE INJURY UPDATES
Neither safety Talanoa Hufanga nor wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will return to practice this week, as Shanahan ruled both out for Friday’s preseason finale at Las Vegas.
Hufanga got cleared last week to advance his comeback from last season’s anterior cruciate ligament surgery. He is currently on the Physically Unable To Perform list, and Shanahan said “it’s still up for discussion” whether to keep him on that list for the first four games of the regular season.
Also coming back to practice are running backs Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) and Patrick Taylor Jr. (foot), and offensive lineman Ben Bartch.
NO CONTRACT NEWS
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams remain ensnarled in contract stalemates. “Zero updates. Nothing has changed,” Shanahan said.
PLAY CALL DUTY
Shanahan will remain the 49ers’ playcaller when the regular season commences, even though he’s allowed pass-game specialist Klay Kubiak to dial up the calls through two preseason games and possibly Friday’s finale.
This is the first time in 16 seasons Shanahan has ceded play-calling duties to any extent, and he’s done so in part to enhance Kubiak’s career. Shanahan said he’s hesitated to give up preseason play calls in the past because he didn’t want to disrespect players and make them think he didn’t take the preseason seriously. “Klay’s spent so much time with those guys, they’re not offended by it at all. It’s been great,” Shanahan said.
Shanahan has never yielded play-calling duties to a quarterback, and he won’t start doing so Friday night with Brock Purdy. Shanahan’s rationale is that quarterbacks have way too much to diagnose and on their plates to insert play-calling chores.
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