SANTA CLARA — Practice amid a pandemic? Yes, yes the 49ers did, and without any alarming incidents in their first team session of training camp Saturday morning.

Although pads and full contact do not start until Monday, this was their first on-field reunion since the Super Bowl, with a few impressive additions to a familiar returning cast.

Here are the 10 questions I found answers to while safely watching from the sideline:

1. How do the COVID-19 precautions look?

Most of the coaches wore protective masks, although some did pull theirs down to relay play calls and instructions, including coach Kyle Shanahan. Wide receiver J.J. Nelson was the only player apparently wearing a mouth shield inside his helmet, at least from what I could tell in the media zone that was located a field away from where Saturday’s 11-on-11 sessions occurred.

Otherwise, it was a typical practice, a 10-period deal spanning almost 90 minutes under sunny skies with a 91-degree temperature at practice’s end. Next to the practice fields are about 20 tents to isolate players during weight-lifting workouts outside, to which general manager John Lynch said: “It’s Venice Beach North. We love it.”

2. How do George Kittle and the tight ends look?

Kittle is relieved to open camp with his extension (five years, $75 million), having agreed to it Thursday and signing it Friday. He looked ever-present on the field catching passes, run blocking, encouraging teammates and friendly baiting Fred Warner.

“Now I can go on a football field not worrying about anything, about getting injured,” Kittle said. “Now I’m taken care of and my family is taken care of, and I can just go play football, and run through someone’s face, and I’m excited about that.”

Was this opening practice a true deadline for a deal? “It was the first day I would have been concerned and first I would have noticed if nothing was done,” Shanahan said. “It does help things get done.”

As for his fellow tight ends, newly signed Jordan Reed, who did not play last season, is being eased into workouts and came out midway through practice before facing defenders. He looks in shape and wore a No. 81 jersey, which has had mixed results in past years since Terrell Owens’ exit. Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner saw the next-most action at tight end.

3. How credible are the wide receiver comebacks?

Jalen Hurd, per the precautionary plan, joined Reed on the side with trainers after the first half of practice. Hurd showed no sign of a back fracture that wiped out his rookie season, and he looks as intriguingly physical as ever. It wasn’t a shock to see Kendrick Bourne line up with the starters as much as it was long-lost Dante Pettis, who didn’t have passes come his way in 11-on-11 drills. The play of the day came from No. 1 slot option Trent Taylor, who made a fantastic catch on the sideline.

“I was really happy for him, how he’s overcome a lot with infections and rehab,” Shanahan said. “To get him back out there is a huge deal. He looks like the same guy. I know how hard he works and is excited to be out there. He’s not a guy you want to go up to and ask how he’s doing. He’s ready to move on and play football.”

Shanahan said Hurd had a “great” two weeks to prepare for these practices and the hope is he’ll get involved more in the near future. Shanahan also noted how excited he was about adding legitimate roster contenders in Nelson and Tavon Austin, and the hope remains that Deebo Samuel (foot) could be ready for the Sept. 13 opener despite watching Saturday’s practice in a bucket hat with a football in hand.

4. How is Jimmy Garoppolo’s aura?

Garoppolo looked to be on auto-pilot like last season, and he did so with the left-knee brace he wore last season but not in the previous two weeks of conditioning drills.

“If you need it, wear it, that’s my philosophy,” Shanahan said. “That’s not much of my concern. If he was coming right off an ACL, I’d ask ‘Why aren’t you wearing one?’ That’s his body, his knee and everyone is different.”

Rotating in behind him were projected No. 2 Nick Mullens and a longer-haired C.J. Beathard.

5. How do we size up Javon Kinlaw?

The 49ers’ top draft pick is 6-foot-5, 319 pounds and visually looks head-and-shoulders bigger than nose tackles D.J. Jones and Kevin Givens. Kinlaw is wearing No. 99, and even though he is two inches shorter than predecessor DeForest Buckner, it is an imposing presence. Shanahan commended Kinlaw and fellow first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk for how they’re assimilating and not needing any veterans to show them the tempo and urgency of practices.

6. Is Brandon Aiyuk’s reach outrageous?

Aiyuk is wearing No. 11, and although he might not be as lightning-fast as it former owner (Marquise Goodwin), he looked bigger (by 2 inches). When he made a sideline grab, he instantly protected the ball, a positive sign as he was surrounded by the 49ers’ reserves on that sideline. He appeared to confirm with Mullens before lining up for a play, so it’ll be worth watching how fast Aiyuk grasps a complicated scheme.

7. Is Jerick McKinnon’s comeback true?

One practice in and McKinnon’s comeback looks better than it did a year ago. He is not wearing a brace on his right knee and he seems free, such as doing a high-step after catching a pass on a simple wheel route in warmups.

“Last year when he came back and tried to work through it, you could tell it didn’t heal right,” Shanahan said. “It’s still the first step, first day but you can tell it healed right. He’s at a chance to have that comeback now and everybody is pulling for him. He had a real good first day of practice.”

The backfield rotation went: Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, McKinnon, Jeff Wilson and Jamycal Hasty.

8. What is Jason Verrett’s worth?

Simply seeing Verrett in a No. 22 jersey was a positive sight, as he missed most of last season (and the past few) with leg issues. Verrett worked with the second-string unit and gives off a veteran vibe. The starting cornerbacks remain Richard Sherman and Emmanuel Moseley, with Ahkello Witherspoon getting a couple weeks to prove his candidacy.

9. How do the reserve quarterbacks look?

Mullens looked pretty sharp, and Beathard was making due with a third-string cast full of newcomers learning the offense. Beathard’s biggest contribution this year may have already happened this offseason, when he threw to Kittle in Nashville.

10. What other newcomer joins Trent Williams on the line?

Daniel Brunskill and Tom Compton are indeed rotating at right guard to replace Mike Person, and Brunskill’s versatility will be tested throughout camp regardless if he starts there or not.

As for left tackle Trent Williams, the seven-time Pro Bowler looks the part but won’t have it easy facing Nick Bosa daily. As for a recent video that he posted on Instagram of a Ferrari driving 125 mph, Shanahan said he heard it was Williams’ brother driving but the coach still needed to confirm that with Williams. Regardless, Shanahan noted such speed is dangerous for everyone on a road, adding: “It’s nothing anyone should do on this planet unless you’re at NASCAR.”

NOTES

— Defensive lineman Arik Armstead’s back tightness likely will keep him out of the first four practices.

— Kwon Alexander is the starting weak-side linebacker and not in an open competition with Dre Greenlaw, Shanahan said, while commending both players for their work last season.

— To make room for Austin and Nelson, the 49ers waived tight end Daniel Helm and wide receiver Chris Thompson (injured).

— Roster longshots who impressed were running back JaMycal Hasty and defensive end Jonathan Kongbo.

— With incumbent punt returner Richie James Jr. (wrist) not cleared to practice, the 49ers deployed Aiyuk, Austin, Pettis, Taylor and Nelson.

— General manager John Lynch confirmed he signed his five-year contract extension two weeks ago, even though the team has yet to issue a release on it.