SANTA CLARA — Offensive lineman Leroy Watson did not walk away from a fight on the 49ers’ practice field.
In one of the more amusing sights to be seen on an NFL practice field, Watson got the last laugh.
Literally.
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A post-play skirmish had all the makings of an old-fashioned melee when defensive lineman La’Darius Hamilton and Watson got in a tussle.
After some after-the-whistle physicality, Hamilton took a swing and connected to Watson’s face mask. But instead of punching back, Watson stood up, leaned back and began laughing loudly.
And that brought an end to the teammate-on-teammate hostility for the day. The 49ers’ had a long day on the practice field, and it began with tempers flaring.
On the second play, linebacker Fred Warner hit Jordan Mason, and Mason took exception to the treatment and retaliated. Then, Deommodore Lenoir entered the fray and began throwing fists at Mason.
San Francisco 49ers
The two players threw wild punches and went to the ground, where teammates and staff members separated them after several seconds of action.
Quarterback update
One day after completing 84 percent of his pass attempts, quarterback Brock Purdy and his wide receivers had difficulty keeping the ball off the ground against the 49ers’ defense.
Purdy took 36 snaps of 11-on-11 action and completed just 13 of 23 pass attempts with one interception. His best throw of the day also was his last. He hooked up with Deebo Samuel on a 20-yard touchdown against tight coverage from Lenoir.
Cornerback Tre Swilling picked off a Purdy pass on a play in which wide receiver Ronnie Bell also was called for offensive pass interference.
Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw also should come up with an interception. He tipped a pass into the air at the line of scrimmage but dropped it. Then, he dropped to the ground and did 10 pushups.
Quarterback Sam Darnold completed six of his 10 attempts in his 20 snaps. Trey Lance was 4-for-8 passing on his 15 snaps.
Quick slants
— Veteran wide receiver Anthony Miller was signed and took part in his first practice. He had a reception on a pass from Lance. Miller caught 134 passes for 1,564 yards for the Bears in three seasons (2018-20). He appeared in a total of three games in the past two seasons. He missed all of last season with a shoulder injury.
“I remember studying him coming out of college,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We were big fans of him coming out of college. I remember him with the Bears doing some good things.”
— The 49ers waived receiver Dazz Newsome to make room on the 90-man roster for Miller.
— Rookie cornerback D’Shawn Jamison made a nice pass breakup on a deep Darnold pass intended for Deebo Samuel.
— Tight end George Kittle returned to action after missing two weeks with a groin strain. He caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Purdy.
— Warner, Charvarius Ward, and Ji’Ayir Brown broke up passes. — Brandon Aiyuk caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Purdy, while Lance and Tay Martin hooked up for an 8-yard score.