49ers OTAs 2022: What fans need to know and watch for

The 49ers will kick off their 2022 organized team activities next week, so let’s break down what’s on the docket and when it’ll take place.

San Francisco 49ers fans are going to start seeing how the 2022 installment of their favorite team is coming together next week.

That’s right, the first team-wide practices are going to kick off on Monday, May 23 from the SAP training facility just outside Levi’s Stadium.

These are, for those of you not totally in the know, referred to as organized team activities, or OTAs, and they’re part of what’s known as Phase 3 of the NFL’s offseason workout schedule under the current collective bargaining agreement between the league and players union.

There are a lot of rules about OTAs, including no contact on the field. But fans will start catching glimpses of football-like activity.

Although it’s not mandatory for players to attend, meaning All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel probably won’t be around during this phase amid his contract standoff.

That’ll be exciting enough, and here’s what you’ll want to know.

When are 49ers OTAs this year?

Day one of the Niners’ OTA period will begin on Monday, May 23 and go into Tuesday, May 24. The team will break until returning for Thursday, May 26 and will then have back-to-back days on Tuesday, May 31 and Wednesday, June 1.

June 3, June 6 and 7, and then finally June 9 will mark the end of the nine-day workouts.

Mandatory minicamp will then commence on Monday, June 13.

What kind of practices will the 49ers engage in?

A good chunk of the workouts will be intended to get players into physical shape for the regular season, such as pushing sleds, running between pylons and performing other conditioning drills.

Physical contact (i.e. tackling) is strictly forbidden by the CBA, so players won’t be wearing pads until roughly halfway through training camp later this summer, although they will don helmets for safety measures.

Read More: Important dates to know on 49ers offseason calendar

Frequently, OTA practices will involve 7-on-7 drills with abbreviated offenses and defenses, and there may be some full-team 11-on-11 sessions, too.

Since there’s no tackling, though, the offense usually winds up setting the tone.

Can 49ers fans attend OTAs?

No. OTAs are off-limits to fans.

In previous seasons, especially before the pandemic, San Francisco allowed a certain number of fans to attend and watch training camp practices, which were held at the same venue outside of Levi’s Stadium.

OTAs, however, are restricted to the team and its associates only, although credentialed members of the media will be able to attend on certain days.

They’ll be the ones feeding all kinds of reports, breakdowns and footage to the fanbase via articles and social media feeds. That’ll be the best way for fans to know what’s going on.

And we’re sure there will be plenty of storylines to dissect and pick apart, too.