As the 49ers dive deeper into Training Camp, position battles have taken center stage. Some players are rising. Others are fading. And one name—quietly—has coaches talking for the wrong reasons.
It’s not about dropped passes or missed blocks. It’s about what’s missing between the whistles: urgency, focus, effort. According to team insiders, this tight end hasn’t stood out in drills and has barely participated in full-speed reps. The concern isn’t injury—it’s intensity.
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Head Coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t sugarcoat things:
“This is the NFL, not a country club. If you’re coasting through camp, you won’t be here when it ends. We need grinders, not guys waiting for handouts.”
And while the coaching staff won’t name names publicly, everyone knows who’s in the spotlight.
Charlie Woerner, now entering his second year, was once seen as a future TE1. But the gap between potential and production is widening. Sources say he’s being outworked in practice by teammates who came in with less hype but more hunger.
The 49ers aren’t giving up on Woerner—but they are running out of excuses. With every missed rep and quiet session, his role slips further away. In San Francisco, you earn your star. And right now, he’s still chasing it.
