Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Brenen Thompson publicly criticized the San Francisco 49ers' defense following a joint practice session Tuesday, stating his team "tore them up."
"It was a lot of fun," Thompson said after the practice. "We tore them up."
When asked about the number of touchdowns the Chargers scored, Thompson added, "I lost count, honestly."
Thompson himself was responsible for two long touchdown receptions during the practice. One score came on a deep pass from quarterback Justin Herbert, who beat coverage from Deommodore Lenoir and Ji’Ayir Brown. Thompson also connected with backup quarterback DJ Uiagalelei for another long touchdown.
Herbert reportedly targeted San Francisco's secondary repeatedly, completing passes downfield and exploiting coverage breakdowns. Other Chargers receivers also found success, with Ladd McConkey scoring multiple touchdowns and David Njoku catching a pass for approximately 60 yards after a defensive lapse.
The Chargers' running game also proved effective, with Omarion Hampton running through tackles by Brown and linebacker Jaden Dugger.
While the 49ers' defense struggled, their pass rush showed promise. Osa Odighizuwa recorded four pressures, and the absence of hitting quarterbacks in joint practices may have masked the true impact of the pass rush.
San Francisco's offense also faced difficulties. The team failed to score during a two-minute drill period to conclude the practice.
"Honestly, I don’t think it was our best day," 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Feel like fundamentals and stuff were just a little off and whatnot. … Just feel like we could have came out with a little bit more chip on our shoulder offensively."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan echoed Purdy's sentiment. "I thought we struggled a little bit in the move-the-ball periods," Shanahan said. "Didn’t score in the two-minute [drill]. So there were some ups and downs, but I didn’t really like how we finished today."
The two teams are scheduled to meet in a preseason game on Thursday night.