Kaelon Black was back in full team work on Tuesday and made his return count, running into the end zone for a red-zone touchdown during the San Francisco 49ers' joint practice at the Los Angeles Chargers facility. It was his first 11-on-11 action since Day 6 of Training Camp, and it came on Day 14 with the preseason opener against the Chargers waiting on Thursday.
The return mattered because Black had been out of that live team period for more than a week, and the 49ers wanted to see how he handled another defense after the layoff. He saw carries throughout team and red-zone periods, and one of his best runs came on a line up the middle during the second 11-on-11 period before he finished a drive with a touchdown.
Brock Purdy said Black looked sharp when he touched the ball, praising the way he hit the hole and ran hard. Purdy added that there is a different level of intensity when Black gets the ball and said he is eager to see more of that in live action, where breaking tackles and finding gaps matter most.
The drill work also gave Shanahan a first look at Black in a live setting after his absence from 11-on-11 work, and the coach said the runner looked healthy and had juice. Shanahan said it is always difficult to go against another team on the first day back, but he still came away encouraged and said Black will most likely play in Thursday's preseason matchup against the Chargers.
That is the part that gives Tuesday its weight. The 49ers had just completed their second joint practice of Training Camp after hosting the Tennessee Titans last week, and the session was designed to show where the offense stood against fresh legs and different looks. San Francisco moved the ball through the start of team periods, but the group did not finish its two-minute period with a score, which made Black's return one of the cleaner bright spots in an uneven day.
Black's touchdown did not solve everything, and it did not need to. It showed that he can step back into live work quickly, absorb contact and still finish a drive, which is exactly what the 49ers needed to see before Thursday.
