SANTA CLARA — Drake Jackson returned to team practice in a 49er training Sunday, which came as no surprise to the rookie passer.
Jackson left season opener 49 Early in the first half on Friday night at Levi Stadium. In the process of chasing Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love to the sideline, the rookie landed awkwardly on his shoulder.
After the match, Kyle Shanahan shared it Jackson was dealing with stinging This was confirmed by the coach on Saturday after several tests. The USC producer returned to the field for a light, unlined workout the next day.
“[I was] Jackson said on Sunday. “I kind of wanted to come back and play, so I knew everything would be fine at the end of the day. [The shoulder] I feel happy, just eating it day in and day out.”
In Jackson’s short stint on the court, he had a definite impact on the game, putting pressure on Lowe several times in a row. Defense coordinator DeMeco Ryans was pleased with the rookie’s performance but emphasized that there were still things the passing striker needed to work on.
“Drake did some good things that translate to our winning games,” Ryans said. “The effort, attacking the throwing arm, those things translate to us winning matches. We are expecting more from him. It was a good first outing, I am still learning and still growing.”
Jackson has kept his promise to be a sponge when it comes to learning from veterans, noting that Nick Bossa and Trent Williams have been a great resource. The novice is not afraid to ask questions to any of his teammates in meetings or in the training field.
At 260 pounds, Jackson went back to the weight he found most comfortable to play. The young passing striker said he missed playing with that weight and is still able to move the way he needs to in order to get into the backcourt and influence play.
Related: Jackson catches Trent Williams’ attention during training camp
Overall, Jackson knows he has the work to do to improve and be as consistent as possible on the field. He shared that playing all over the streak is a huge possibility and challenge, but most of all, he’s just happy to be back on the field.
“Man, I loved it,” Jackson said. “I was crazy to be there, just being in the NFL was able to be on the field. I felt good, I felt like I was back.”
