The San Francisco 49ers rebounded from a challenging joint practice session earlier in the week to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers 41-17 at SoFi Stadium, according to Yahoo Sports. Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad showcased strong defensive stands early and a dominant 21-unanswered-point avalanche in the second half to secure the exhibition win.
San Francisco 49ers Bounce Back With 41-17 Preseason Victory Over Chargers
Quarterback Rotation and Offensive Execution
The 49ers utilized a multi-quarterback rotation under center. Brock Purdy started his 2026 preseason debut against the Los Angeles starting defense, playing one drive where he completed 4 of 6 pass attempts for 29 yards, moved the chains twice on third down with seven-yard completions to De’Zhaun Stribling, and scrambled for three yards.
Mac Jones took over on the second drive and directed an efficient, rhythm-based offense. In the second quarter, kicker Eddy Piñeiro capped off a series by drilling a 48-yard field goal. Adrian Martinez managed the second-half offense, shaking off an early third-quarter interception to orchestrate three consecutive touchdown drives. Martinez capitalized on a fourth-down penalty with a goal-line rushing touchdown, converted a fourth-and-short, and scored on another keeper himself. Jordan Watkins hauled in a 17-yard touchdown pass from Martinez following a special teams turnover.
Defensive Standouts and Ground Game Impress
San Francisco’s starting defense quickly washed away the struggles from their Tuesday joint practice in El Segundo. Facing Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert on the opening drive, the frontline shut down the edge to force a three-and-out. When Los Angeles turned to former 49ers quarterback Trey Lance, the defensive front suffocated interior running lanes and forced another quick three-and-out.
In the second quarter, cornerback Jack Jones delivered a pass breakup in tight coverage inside the red zone, holding Los Angeles to a 21-yard Cameron Dicker field goal. Defensively, Romello Height and Sam Okuayoninu both made tackles in the backfield, while defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa repeatedly penetrated the backfield to cause disruption. Linebacker Garrett Wallow played with zero hesitation against the run and made big solo tackles in the hole.
On the ground, Sincere McCormick recorded the longest run of the night by gaining 37 yards up the right sideline, eventually punching in a short rushing touchdown behind an offensive line that opened up massive running lanes. Kaelon Black also showed explosiveness and toughness at running back.
Special Teams Spark and Roster Implications
The highlight of the night came from wideout Jacob Cowing, who fielded a punt from JK Scott and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown. The special teams unit also recovered a muffed Chargers punt in the second half to set up short field position. Eddy Pineiro added two successful field goals on the evening.
Cowing’s standout performance on special teams essentially secured his ticket to the 53-man roster, while other roster hopefuls like De’Zhaun Stribling continued to make a compelling case for regular-season roles.
