After broken neck, 49ers’ Robert Jones ready to fight for a job: ‘I do have to hit again’ (paywall)
“Jones used a bone-stimulation machine to promote healing for four months, took regular hospital trips for two-hour stints in a hyperbaric chamber and wasn’t permitted to run until he was medically cleared in March….“When we got to training camp and it was the first padded practice, it was in my head: ‘I do have to hit again,’” Jones said. “I was a little cautious, but once I got going, I felt good. After I got that first hit in, it helped my confidence. I knew I was good, I was healthy and I was able to do this.”
The fact that Jones is doing this in the NFL is wildly unlikely given his background. Jones didn’t play organized football until his junior year at Rockford (Ill.) East High School, didn’t play offensive line until his freshman year at Highland (Kan.) Community College, and wasn’t drafted after his two seasons at Middle Tennessee State.
“The NFL was never really on my radar,” Jones said. “I was really using football as a vehicle to get my degree. I tried to lock in on that while I was still learning the sport.”
Jones grew up in Chicago dreaming of becoming a basketball star. But that ended when he didn’t make his high school team. The message: He was too big. But the 280-pounder was soon approached by a football assistant coach, David Hampton, a former NFL running back.
“He told me, ‘Man, you’ve got to play football. You’re a walking meal ticket,’ Jones said.
That wasn’t immediately obvious. As a junior, Jones was a backup defensive lineman who quit the team after about five games because, he said, his mom was “terrified” about her only son playing such a violent sport. After Jones returned to earn a starting role as a senior, he was moved to the offensive line when he arrived at Highland. It didn’t click overnight: He didn’t start until his sophomore year.
“After that,” Jones said, “the rest is history.”
That history includes last year’s painful chapter. Jones suffered his broken neck early in practice, but he was able to finish: He thought he’d suffered a shoulder stinger. Jones even did some post-practice work with a teammate before he finally went to the trainers, who sent him for a CT scan.
“That’s when they told me: ‘You broke your C5,’” Jones said.”
6 Winners and 4 losers from the 49ers’ preseason opener
“Eason had a play where he sniffed out a screen and forced an incompletion. Kris Kocurek will appreciate that, as defensive line coaches are always saying something along the lines of, “If you’re getting after the quarterback for the first time all game, it’s probably because they want you to.”
Eason stood his ground against double teams, pushed the pocket against rookie Jackson Slater, and looked like he belonged in his debut.”
49ers receiver Jordan Watkins produces in another promising NFL preseason opener
“I think my diet has been a big part of me being able to stay healthy, especially getting through this camp,” he said. “I’m a really big sweet tea drinker, and I’m trying to stay away from sweet tea and sweet coffee.”
Watkins, a fourth-round pick from Ole Miss in the 2025 NFL Draft, spent last season around 195 pounds. This year, he said his weight fluctuates from 202 to 205, and he has dropped body fat, too.
He said he eats a lot of protein and has cut out carbohydrates — except for breakfast — from his diet. Watkins’s diet consists of primarily steak, chicken and vegetables, he said.
This summer has signified a new start for Watkins, who is competing to become the team’s primary punt returner, too. He handled two punts on Thursday night with a fair catch and a 4-yard return.
“It’s been a fun journey, and I feel like I’m getting better,” said Watkins, who ran a time of 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Knowing that everybody in the stadium is looking at you, and everyone on the sideline is expecting you to catch the ball. It’s just you and the ball.”
49ers vs. Titans PFF grades: Best and worst from the game, plus snap counts
“Defensive tackle Gracen Halton was the 49ers’ highest-graded run defender (75.0), recording a game-high four stops. Cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. came in second with a 74.1 run-defense grade.”
49ers QB Kurtis Rourke released from hospital after rib injury in preseason opener
“The San Francisco 49ers announced that quarterback Kurtis Rourke was released from the hospital on Thursday night.”