Jerod Mayo opened up his Wednesday press conference with an announcement that starting captain Ja'Whaun Bentley would be placed on Injured Reserve to start the week. Bentley suffered a reported torn pectoral muscle during the team's overtime loss to Seattle and left a glaring hole in the middle of the defense against the Jets, as missed tackles and miscommunications were consistent issues that the reliable veteran would've helped prevent.
It's a spot Mayo himself has been in before, losing a season due to injury and being left to wonder what happens next. Along those lines, Mayo took a page from Bill Belichick during one of those times and subsequently announced that Kyle Dugger would be named another captain of the team.
"I was a captain seven out of eight years, but I remember getting hurt early in the season, and then Coach [Belichick] approached me and said, 'Hey, do you mind if we had another captain?' and I didn't. So, I had a conversation with Bentley... I said that to me, it's important that we still have leadership and representation for that side of the ball," said Mayo. "I'm happy to announce today a guy that has done a tremendous job for us, has really shown a lot of growth on the field and off the field, and that's Kyle Dugger. So, Dugger is now a captain for us."
Dugger signed a new four-year contract this offseason, cementing his place as one of the team's core pieces moving forward. Now he'll wear the captain's C on his jersey for the first time in his four-year career.
"It feels good, but we're just trying to win games at the end of the day, that's really all the goal is," said Dugger in the locker room shortly after Mayo's announcement, adding that he wants to continue his development even if he's officially among the team's leadership now. "Just continue to learn from the guys ahead of me and my mistakes and continue to grow and be open to growth, I think it's been the biggest thing that's helped me."
"His first year he came in, you knew he was a physical player... he brings that mentality, that physicality that you want on your defense," said Mayo of Dugger. "I would say here over the last few years, he's done a tremendous job mentoring those young guys and even the older guys. I had a conversation with [Jabrill] Peppers today, and he talked about how important it was for him to learn from Dugger and Devin [McCourty], and that just talks about his leadership style. It's a little different. It's mostly through just the way he approaches the game. But I would say here as of late, this year and last year, he's been more vocal, which I definitely appreciate."
For his part, Dugger wasn't carried too far away with the news of Mayo's announcement, instead focusing on putting the Jets loss in the rearview mirror and bringing the 49ers into focus.
"Just reset," said Dugger of his goals for Wednesday. "Go out to practice, be focused on the gameplan and make sure I'm executing and communicating with the guys, really just making these days count."
Sow Eyeing Return?
Second-year guard Sidy Sow, who was a fixture at left guard throughout the summer before going down with an ankle injury late in the preseason, was present at the team's fully padded practice, an early indication that the team might getting healthier at a critical position group that has been beleaguered with injuries.
"It felt good [getting back on the field on Monday]," said Sow before giving it a go at practice on Wednesday. "Honestly, just getting out there, it's been a little while I played football, but getting back in there [was good].
"Today's a big day, obviously, because it's full pad so [I'll be able to] truly tell it how it feels after today."
Perhaps Sow's return can help settle the line down, but their injury concerns run deeper than only him. Caedan Wallace and Michael Jordan both appear to be limited following their late-game injury exits against the Jets.
It's nothing new for a group that has started three different line combinations in their first three games and appears poised to start a fourth different one on Sunday.
Starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett maintained his faith in the group despite facing a league-high pressure rate according to Next Gen Stats (47.6%).
"Just keep battling. Keep battling," said Brissett of the OL approach. "It's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's coming. It's about going out there, keep battling, put your best foot forward, and trust in the process that when it clicks, it clicks. Like the question with the running back, my confidence doesn't change with the O-line. The plays are going to come. They're going to settle in. It's week-to-week each week, and if we put our best foot forward, we'll be alright."
Locker Room Quotes of Note
Austin Hooper on getting an extra practice day on Monday:
"I mean, that's the only thing good about losing on Thursday night, you get a couple of days to regroup, recenter, watch the film, look yourself in the mirror, be honest with yourself, meet again as a group on Monday for the bonus practice, kind of review where we're at and where we still want to go. I mean, luckily, it's still early in the season, our story is not written just yet, so it was good to get back together as a group on Monday. Get back to work. Break it down, review what went well, what didn't go well, and figure it out from there."
Christian Gonzalez on moving on from the Jets loss:
"A lot of people talk about, it's a true man's test of character when you respond from adversity. So, the game didn't go so well last week, but we're ready to go out there to do our thing."
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