The San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans didn’t make it through their first joint practice without throwing punches. Four separate fights broke out within the first 10 minutes of 11-on-11 work Tuesday in Santa Clara, according to The San Francisco Standard, as the two teams prepare to meet again Thursday in their preseason opener at Levi’s Stadium.
The scuffles started almost immediately. On the first snap of team drills, 49ers nickelback Upton Stout sparked a post-play shoving match, and things escalated from there. San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw and All-Pro Fred Warner combined for a jarring tackle for loss on a Titans running back shortly after, and the physical tone carried into the passing game.
The biggest flashpoint came when Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward threw to rookie receiver Carnell Tate, and 49ers cornerback Renardo Green drilled the wideout to the ground near the sideline. That hit set off the largest brawl of the day, pulling in players from both benches.
Four Players Ejected From Practice
By the time coaches separated both sides, four players had been sent off the field. Tennessee lost offensive linemen Dan Moore Jr. and Austin Deculus, both ejected for throwing punches, the Standard reported. San Francisco defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa was also involved in a scuffle with Moore after grabbing Ward by the collar following a sack — quarterbacks are off-limits in practice reps, and Moore threw a punch at Odighizuwa’s helmet that got him tossed.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed two of his own players were also ejected, though he stopped short of naming them and was candid about the uncertainty. “We have a rule, if you throw a punch, you’re out. And we had two guys thrown out. I was told two. I’m not sure if that’s accurate,” Shanahan said, according to NBC Bay Area. Shanahan was working with the offense on a separate field when the fights broke out and said he only had secondhand information.
Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was seen sharply confronting linebacker Tatum Bethune after one of the early fights, per the Standard’s reporting.
Fred Warner Steps In as Peacemaker
Once the ejections piled up, San Francisco’s defense needed a course correction — and it came from its best player. Warner gathered the unit and delivered a blunt message.
“I brought the guys together and told them, ‘We’re not going to get through today if we continue on this path.’ We got to play football. If you end up on the ground, that means you didn’t win your rep.”
That’s Warner, via NBC Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. He later credited the shift for turning the day around: “I think we found our groove after some of that fiery business that was going on at the beginning.”
Titans rookie Carnell Tate, who took the hit that sparked the biggest brawl, didn’t shy away from the intensity either. “The energy was hot from the first play,” Tate said, per the Associated Press.
Football Broke Out, Too
Once the shoving stopped, both teams settled into a genuinely productive practice. San Francisco’s offense, led by quarterback Brock Purdy, moved the ball well against Tennessee’s defense, particularly in the red zone. On defense, safety Ji’Ayir Brown picked off Ward on a throw over the middle, and cornerback Jakob Robinson added a second interception off backup quarterback Will Levis, per NBC Bay Area’s practice notes.
The session doubled as a reunion. Titans coach Robert Saleh spent five seasons as Shanahan’s defensive coordinator in San Francisco before taking over in Tennessee, and the two watched portions of practice together before planning to trade notes that evening. “It’s always good to pick his brain,” Saleh said. “He’s always been a mentor of mine. He’s an elite teacher.”
Saleh downplayed the fireworks afterward. “It’s always going to get heated, but I thought both teams ended up conducting themselves the way they needed to,” he said. “I thought there’s a lot of great tape to watch. It was a productive day.”
What’s Next
The 49ers and Titans meet again Thursday night at Levi’s Stadium for their preseason opener. Saleh is expected to play his healthy starters, while most of San Francisco’s regulars are likely to sit — meaning Tuesday’s joint practice, fights and all, may have been the more competitive of the two sessions.
San Francisco is also monitoring the health of edge rusher Nick Bosa, who remains week-to-week with knee tendinitis as he continues recovering from ACL surgery. Shanahan said the issue is not viewed as a setback beyond normal recovery.
