After an abysmal Super Bowl hangover season ending in a 6-10 record, the San Francisco 49ers have a crucial training camp coming up if they want to return to NFC Supremacy in 2021. When does it start, where will it be held, and are fans allowed to attend?
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With phase 3 of the 2021 NFL offseason set to wrap up on June 18th, teams are already looking forward to training camp. It is by far the most grueling and pivotal part of a team’s preparations.
Training camps often include busy days for players and coaches, sometimes with 2 practices a day, weight training, team meetings, and film sessions.
Per the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), no contact is permitted during the first 3 days of camp. Days 4 and 5 will see players at full speed in light equipment called “spiders and shells”, day 6 is a mandatory day off, and finally fully-padded practices start on the 7th day.
Along with the strenuous schedule, full-speed practices mean that both contact and non-contact injuries are very common. Regardless, training camp is mandatory for all players, unlike OTAs which are voluntary. If a player doesn’t show up, they risk getting cut by their team.
When Does Training Camp Start for the San Francisco 49ers?
For the first time in NFL history, there will be a unified start for training camp. 29 franchises, including the 49ers, will kick off their training camps on Tuesday, July 27th.
The Cowboys and Steelers, who will play in the preseason Hall of Fame game, are allowed to begin training camp as early as July 21st. The Buccaneers will also be allowed to start training camp 3 days earlier on the 24th, as they play the season opener against Dallas on a Thursday night.
Where is the 49ers Training Camp Being Held?
Normally, NFL teams are permitted to hold training camp at outside facilities to improve accessibility for fans, However last year, due to the uncertainty caused by the COVID pandemic, teams were instructed to conduct camp at their own training facilities.
The San Francisco 49ers will hold a training camp at their training facility, the SAP Performance Facility in Santa Clara, California. The SAP Performance Facility is located at 4949 Marie P. Debartolo Way, Santa Clara, California.
San Francisco 49ers Training Camp Roster: Key Position Battles to Watch
As usual, teams will start camp with 90-man rosters. They must cut down to 85 players by August 17th and to 80 by August 24th, before settling on a final 53-man roster by August 31st.
The running back group will be interesting to observe heading into camp. Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers have always had a solid back core without an essential lead back, and it should be very similar in 2021. San Francisco has a bunch of backs with whom to work, including Raheem Mostert, free-agent addition Wayne Gallman and rookies Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon.
Mostert should be the favorite heading into camp, but Ohio State rookie Trey Sermon should get his share of carries as well. Sermon was a stud as a buckeye and the 49ers would hope that his game translates the same way in the Pros.
The CB2 battle will also be intense between Emmanuel Moseley and Ambry Thomas. Emmanuel Moseley had a solid season in 2020. When targeting Moseley, quarterbacks had a 58.9% completion percentage and had one interception. However, there were parts of Moseley’s game where he struggled, as QBs had a 98.8 passing rating when targeting him.
Thomas opted out of the 2020 season but was impressive in 2019 as a member of the No.1 defense in the NFL. Thomas had 38 total tackles in 12 games partnered with 3 interceptions and seven pass deflections.
Will Fans Be Allowed to Attend 49ers Training Camp?
The NFL is planning to have fans at all training camps, with fan events scheduled to start on July 31st. The NFL and the NFLPA continue to negotiate parameters for fan interactions.
Per the memo of the NFL and NFLPA’s agreement, “Fans will be permitted to attend Training Camp, provided that they are more than 20 feet away from Tier 1 staff, including players, at all times, and adhere to physical distancing requirements. Fans will not be permitted to interact with players at any time.”
So fans will be allowed to attend 49ers camp.
Also Read: Los Angeles Rams Training Camp 2021: Start Date, Location, Roster Battles, and Fan Policy
