© Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Earlier this week, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool praised his team’s coach staff at the expense of the 49ers. Claypool said he was told by a friend—who may have been his Notre Dame teammate, receiver Chris Finke, who was cut from San Francisco’s practice squad before Thursday’s game—that the 49ers practice on Thursdays with pads on.
He was happy, he said, that his coaching staff knew that was something players didn’t want; unlike in San Francisco.
“I was talking to my friend on the Niners and they’re still wearing full pads on Thursdays,” Claypool said. “We haven’t done that since camp, so having a coach that understands how long the season is, the wear and tear on your body, it’s super helpful for getting you through the season and getting you to be able to play well in the playoffs.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan responded to that on Friday, saying the team protects its players probably more than any other team in the NFL.
“Some people practice with pads on Wednesdays,” Shanahan said. “Some people do on Thursdays. I believe guys are too sore on Wednesdays, not recovered from the game. I don’t even keep the pads on for all Thursday. So, we keep them on for the first two periods of practice, a pass protection period and a run period. So, I feel pretty good about that. I think we do it as little as anyone in the NFL.”
San Francisco has 10 days before its next game, at the New Orleans Saints next Sunday. Nose tackle D.J. Jones said after the 34-17 loss to the Packers that Shanahan’s message was to, “heal up.”