Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke showed a sign of solidarity on Wednesday at the 49ers, Levi’s Brand pep rally.

Both of the key figures wore Levi’s jeans at the rally, so did their players (Patrick Willis, Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Justin Smith and Colin Kaepernick).

It was especially unique to see the 49ers head coach wearing an all-denim outfit. Harbaugh is known for his everyday attire of khaki pants and a black microfleece top.

This day, however, was a special one for two iconic Bay Area brands.

Having the 49ers coach celebrate the moment with a fashion statement made it even more unique.

Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle covered the potential partnership between the 49ers and Levi’s.

Mike Rosenberg of the San Jose Mercury News listed the top NFL naming rights deals.

Deborah Petersen of the San Jose Mercury News shared the reaction to the announcement.

Aarond Kuriloff of Bloomberg Businessweek discussed the stadium news.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle touched on Quinton Dial’s potential role with the 49ers.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee previewed the upcoming rookie minicamp.

49ers.com provided a social recap of the stadium announcement and pep rally.

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Time to go to work!! instagram.com/p/ZFu49UJMz7/—
Eric Reid, Jr. (@E_Reid1) May 09, 2013

See you soon.

The San Francisco 49ers enjoy a bevy of talented running backs who can run Greg Roman’s complex offensive system. One of them, third-year runner Kendall Hunter, is back running sprints this offseason. He’s doing so five months removed from a torn left Achilles. Perhaps, Kobe Bryant might want rehab notes from the 49ers running back.

Hunter shared details of his progress with Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

“I’m just doing what the trainers want me to do,” Hunter told Branch. “That’s the process. I feel and know I can do more, but I’m not going to rush whatever the coaches and trainers want.”

Hunter rushed for 371 yards in 2012, good for 5.2 yards per carry. Hunter also scored two rushing touchdowns before injuring himself on Nov. 25 against the New Orleans Saints.

Hunter told Branch he’d like to participate in OTAs in May or San Francisco’s mandatory minicamp in June, but the talented running back understands the importance of a patient rehab process and expects to be held out of action until training camp.

More 49ers headlines can be found in today’s Morning Tailgate.

Branch offered details of the 49ers local pro day, plus the comments of quarterback Nate Montana.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News shared Trent Baalke’s draft-day trade philosophy.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee highlighted other Baalke comments, including ones on the health of Justin and Aldon Smith.

Barrows noted that the 49ers could have 9-10 selections in the 2014 draft.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com shared Baalke’s comments on the 49ers remaining interested in Charles Woodson.

Mike Sando of ESPN.com has Vernon Davis ranked as the top tight end in the NFC West.

49ers.com looked at Colin Kaepernick’s offseason work ethic, Baalke’s outlook on free agency moves in 2013, draft philosophy for 2013, Michael Thomas’ experience at the 2013 local pro day and continued our “49 in 49” series with a Burlingame native who played his college ball at Colorado, David Bakhtiari.

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#tbt meeting sterling sharpe on my 8th birthday when he played at South Carolina. instagram.com/p/YP_fqzENbE/—
jonathan goodwin (@jgoody59) April 18, 2013

Fresh.

As the NFL Draft approaches, many are pegging the 49ers to pursue defensive line depth with their league-high 14 picks. Mike Sando of ESPN.com took stock of the d-line and 2013 prospects for Justin Smith, Ray McDonald and free-agent signee Glenn Dorsey.

“McDonald and Justin Smith had both played at least 85 percent of the defensive snaps through Week 15, which was when an arm injury forced Smith to the sideline until the playoffs,” Sando wrote. “Tampa Bay (three) and New Orleans (two) were the only other teams with more than one defensive lineman logging 85-plus percent of his team’s snaps to that point in the season. The Bucs and Saints had a combined seven other defensive linemen logging at least 30 percent of the snaps to that point. The 49ers had none.”

The rest of today’s Morning Tailgate looks at the 49ers secondary, NFL Draft news and more.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offered a potential role for free agent Nnamdi Asomugha should he sign with the 49ers this offseason.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee listed draft-eligible safeties who could help fill the void left by Dashon Goldson at safety for the 49ers.

Andy Dolich of CSNBayArea.com wrote about the new Santa Clara Stadium’s chances of hosting Super Bowl L.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle looked at the possibility of the 49ers drafting Duke QB Sean Renfree.

Barrows reported the 49ers have set up a meeting with speedy West Virginia wideout Tavon Austin.

Sando broke down the distribution of money paid to NFL quarterbacks by team.

49ers.com offered a recap of the 13th Annual Winter Fest, which brought in more that $2 Million for the 49ers Foundation (video / story / photos).

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To the people that have said:
•You're too small
•You're not fast enough
•You don't have what it takes
•You're not strong enough
THANK THEM—
Joe Hastings (@JLHastings13) March 28, 2013

Wise words of advice from Joe Hastings.

The 49ers roster features many homegrown players that have been drafted and developed by the respected front office staff led by general manager Trent Baalke. But San Francisco also features some top-notch free agents which have shaped it into a Super Bowl contender.

As the 2013 free agency period gets off to its frenzied start, 49ers.com takes a look back at some of the biggest impact free agents signed by the franchise in recent history. View a photo gallery of recent 49ers free agent additions and vote for your favorite at the bottom of this post.

Defensive tackle Justin Smith signed with the 49ers before the 2008 season and has earned Pro Bowl invites in the past four seasons, including All-Pro honors in 2011 and 2012. Cornerback Carlos Rogers and Donte Whitner inked deals with San Francisco in time for the 2011 season, helping turn the secondary into one of the league’s most feared groups. Also a part of the 2011 free agent class was experienced center Jonathan Goodwin, who has become a quiet locker room leader in his two seasons with the team. Rounding out the group is receiver Mario Manningham, who signed with the 49ers before the 2012 season but suffered a season-ending injury in Week 12.

It doesn’t seem like Colin Kaepernick is taking time to rest and relax this offseason. It’s not a shocker, either. The San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback appeared at an award show, began working out with teammates at a training facility in Atlanta and recently took part in an event hosted by the first lady, Michelle Obama.

Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign received help this week from Kaepernick, plus Olympic athletes (Dominique Dawes, Gabby Douglas, Allyson Felix) and tennis star Serena Williams among others.

Details of the event, shared by The Washington Post, touched on Mrs. Obama’s quest to help schools become more active in saving physical education programs nation-wide. Kaepernick, an example of physical condition, has proven to be a strong force in the community, not just on the football field.

The 49ers quarterback will also appear on NFL Network on Thursday at 3 p.m. PT to join the network’s “Path to the Draft” show.

Yahoo! Sports’ Shutdown Corner Blog has the 49ers drafting Ohio State defensive lineman Jonathan Hankins with the No. 31 overall selection in their latest mock draft.

Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com examined the risers and fallers post-NFL Scouting Combine.

Russ Lande of The National Football Post discussed nine players who struggled at the combine.

49ers.com announced the 2012 team award winners, led by Justin and Aldon Smith.

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Ready to start this yoga class—
Tarell Brown25 (@TarellBrown25) February 28, 2013

Stronger than you think.

INDIANAPOLIS – All the attention this week at the NFL Scouting Combine is on the incoming prospects and the domino effect they’ll have on pending free agents. It’s deservedly so.

But one non-prospect related item from Thursday’s opening media session should not go unnoticed.

General Manager Trent Baalke revealed positive news on 49ers four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Justin Smith. After the Super Bowl, San Francisco’s defensive co-captain underwent successful surgery on a partially torn left triceps tendon.

The comments, shared with CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, indicate Smith will have a brief rehab and will be ready for training camp.

Smith missed the final two regular season games from the triceps injury, but returned for all three postseason games. Mock drafts around the country have the 49ers taking a defensive lineman to lighten the workload on Smith’s plate, but all that will play itself out in the coming months.

For now, let’s enjoy the combine process and get to know the top talent headed to the NFL Draft. Also, Jim Harbaugh will speak with reporters at 11:30 am P.T. make sure you watch it live on 49ers.com.

Maiocco examined the possibility of the 49ers drafting Stanford tight end Zach Ertz and also relayed Baalke’s comments on last year’s first-round pick A.J. Jenkins.

Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com offered 10 takeaways from the first media availability, including his take on the 49ers options with Alex Smith.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee shared his impressions from Day 1, including what lies ahead for the 49ers in free agency.

Don Banks of SI.com shared his snap judgments from the opening day of the combine.

John Clayton of ESPN.com relayed his Day 1 combine observations.

ProFootballTalk.com shared details on an ESPN report that discussed the NFL looking into overhauling the league’s offseason schedule.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com wrote down the latest combine gossip.

Mike Mayock of NFL Network shared his take on what the Kansas City Chiefs will do with the No. 1 pick.

49ers.com’s Combine Central provides all the Day 1 content from Baalke’s press conference to photos from the top prospects.

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I put together a list of the top #NFLCombine prospects headed to the 2013 #NFL Draft. –> bit.ly/ZmUcis #Combine49—
Taylor Price (@TaylorPrice49) February 22, 2013

Get familiar.

Justin Smith’s hard-working ways come into greater focus thanks to a remarkable story from ESPN.com’ Elizabeth Merrill. San Francisco’s four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle doesn’t seek out attention, but this story certainly explains the roots of Smith’s work ethic.

Smith owns the Railwood Golf Club in Holts Summit, Mo., a course that costs $25 to play 18 holes with a cart.

“Just Smith wanted it this way,” Merrill wrote. “He didn’t want to gouge the working man who couldn’t take a Monday off to hit golf balls. Smith would prefer, though, that you didn’t know he’s the owner of this golf course nestled in the rolling hills of Central Missouri.

“His name is not on the voicemail, or the website, and that seems typical. Smith is 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, and one of the most important players on the San Francisco 49ers’ vaunted defense, but he prefers to remain in the background. When his teammates are getting sacks, it means Smith is doing his job. Smith has a goal. When he’s finished with football, he’d like to be able to go to the grocery store without anyone recognizing him.”

Check out more of the top Super Bowl XLVII headlines after the jump.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News shared the initial practice reports for the 49ers with both starting outside linebackers limited in action.

Inman also offered the best quotes from Wednesday’s availability.

Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News can’t get enough of the Harbaugh family.

Steve Corkan of the San Jose Mercury News shared Ed Reed’s comments on defending the 49ers zone-read plays.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee shared how Vic Fangio’s family supports the 49ers from Baltimore.

Mike Sando of ESPN.com checked in with Aldon Smith, who looks to end a recent sack-less stretch of play.

Matt Maiocco and Mindi Bach of CSNBayArea.com discussed how the 49ers are handling Super Bowl hype.

Maiocco also examined what led to the 49ers choosing Colin Kaepernick as the team’s starting quarterback

Maiocco also continued his matchup series by discussing Patrick Willis facing Ravens fullback Vonta Leach.

Chris Brown of Grantland.com broke down Joe Flacco’s arm-strength and how it leads to success for Baltimore’s offense.

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Just finished up our best practice of the season. Loved the energy and focus. We are locked in.—
Joe Staley (@jstaley74) January 30, 2013

Sounds good.

NEW ORLEANS – The 49ers touched down in New Orleans on Sunday and greeted the national media in the Big Easy before getting preparations underway for Super Bowl XLVII. Jim Harbaugh and a few of the team’s biggest leaders addressed reporters on Sunday night, discussing the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl run.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com broke down the trip for the 49ers and compared it to the two trips to Youngstown, Ohio, that the team has taken in the regular season since Harbaugh took over as coach.

“But the 49ers’ week-long stay at the site of Super Bowl XLVII is bringing back memories of the road trips the club has taken the past two years during the regular season,” Maiocco wrote. “Yes, there will be a lot more media and hype surrounding the 49ers’ game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, but it is also a time for the team to focus on football — just as they’ve done in Youngstown on week-long trips.”

The rest of today’s Morning Tailgate features more 49ers arrival news and more.

Matt Barrows of Sacramento Bee also wrote that the 49ers are treating this trip like the Youngstown business trip.

Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com discussed the rich franchise history of the 49ers.

Mark Purdy of the Bay Area News Group examined the 49ers upon their arrival to the Big Easy.

Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group wrote that Harbaugh is happy with his team’s focus.

Joe Cortez of the Modesto Bee shared comments from Colin Kaepernick’s family.

Inman spoke to Hall of Famer Joe Montana, who said he expects the 49ers to win.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle examined Harbaugh’s relationship with his father Jack.

NFL.com shared a video of Jack Harbaugh discussing the impact of Muhammad Ali on the Harbaugh family.

Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group profiled Mike Iupati and LaMichael James.

Maiocco chronicled Frank Gore’s journey through life to the Super Bowl.

Joe Davidson of the Sacramento Bee spoke to former 49ers front office exec John McVay.

Maiocco shared comments from former 49ers coach George Seifert.

49ers.com’s coverage included a look at the team’s arrival, a social media recap, a photo gallery and press passes from Kaepernick, Justin Smith, Joe Staley, Dashon Goldson and Patrick Willis and offensive and defensive player transcripts.

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Good morning world. Time to lift some weights. Everyone have a perfect day!—
Joe Staley (@jstaley74) January 28, 2013

Joe Staley is up and at ‘em.

The 49ers are headed back to the Super Bowl. And they did it in style.

Sunday’s 28-24 road comeback in Atlanta to win the NFC Championship was an instant classic that left 49ers Faithful breathless. In the end, a second half shutout by the defense and an impressive group effort by the offense was enough to overcome an early 17-0 deficit in the hostile Georgia Dome.

San Francisco is undefeated in its previous five Super Bowl appearances, and returns to the World Championship for the first time since defeating the Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX following the 1994 season.

Super Bowl XLVII, which will be held in New Orleans on Feb. 3. By now, you may have heard about the two coaches who will be coaching the 49ers and Ravens in two weeks: Jim and John Harbaugh. Peter King of Sports Illustrated took a look ahead to the second edition of the HarBowl after a thrilling Championship Sunday in Atlanta and Foxboro.

“The Niners are back,” King wrote. “Hard to believe it’s been 18 years since Steve Young threw six touchdown passes to shred the Chargers, then mimed having a monkey on his back while begging Harris Barton to rip it off, only to throw up a Gatorade/cookie mix all over agent Leigh Steinberg’s shoes in the postgame. Aaah, those were the days. But San Francisco’s finally in the Big One again, to try to stretch its 5-0 record in Super Bowls.”

The rest of today’s NFC Title Game Tailgate recaps the big win in Atlanta and looks ahead to New Orleans.

Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports wrote that the 49ers learned from their NFC Championship run in 2011.

Mike Sando of ESPN.com discussed the 49ers’ attitude of unfinished business following the win in Atlanta.

Sports Illustrated put together a photo gallery of the Harbaugh brothers as children.

NFL.com shared this video of John Harbaugh congratulating Jim Harbaugh after the 49ers beat the Falcons.

NFL.com also made a highlight video of Championship Weekend’s best moments.

Mark Purdy of the Bay Area News Group took a historical perspective of the 49ers season so far.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle recapped the exciting win for the 49ers in Atlanta.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee commented on the magnitude of the 49ers win.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com wrote that the 49ers were rewarded for their patience as the franchise returns to game’s biggest stage.

Can Inman of the Bay Area News Group is calling Super Bowl XLVII, HarBowl II.

Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated noted the rich franchise history of the 49ers.

Sam Borden of the New York Times wrote about the second-half 49ers rally.

Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group looked at Kaepernick’s ability to lead the 49ers.

Jeff Darlington of NFL.com discussed the resolve shown by the 49ers in the face of adversity.

Jen Floyd Engel of FoxSports.com shared reaction from NaVorro Bowman after the game.

Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com passed along comments from offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle examined the dynamic of the Harbaughs facing each other.

Clark Judge of CBSSports.com spotlighted all things non-HarBowl in his latest column.

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times gave his take on the 49ers win in Atlanta.

Greg Bishop of the New York Times focused on the effective 49ers rushing attack.

Daniel Brown of the Bay Area News Group spotlighted Frank Gore’s two-touchdown day.

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com said Harbaugh’s decision to go with Colin Kaepernick at quarterback has been validated.

Mike Garafolo of USA Today noted Harbaugh’s intensity on the sidelines.

Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com listed intriguing storylines going into the HarBowl.

NFL.com shared a photo gallery of Super Bowl rings throughout the years.

Jim Reineking of NFL.com made a photo essay of Championship Weekend.

Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle discussed Kaepernick’s calm demeanor.

Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today focused on the 49ers defense.

Monte Poole of the Bay Area News Group also discussed the 49ers defense.

Kent Babb of the Washington Post recapped the thrilling NFC Championship.

Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee wrote that Kaepernick showed maturity beyond his years.

Al Saracevic of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote about Frank Gore’s career.

Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group, Barrows, Branch and Killion, Maiocco and Sando discussed Vernon Davis’ impact.

Branch shared comments from Aldon Smith after the game.

Farmer gave his take on Championship Weekend.

Maiocco noted the relationship between Justin Smith and Kaepernick.

Garafolo passed along comments from Bowman, who said he knew the fourth-down pass was coming in the last minute drive.

Sando listed five storylines to take note of going into the Super Bowl.

Ratto analyzed the upcoming matchup between the Harbaugh brothers.

Inman shared a transcript of 49ers CEO Jed York following the game.

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Big thank you to Trent, Jim, & all #49ers. Great game. Falcons deserve a lot of respect… Hope my blood pressure goes down now—
Jed York (@JedYork) January 20, 2013

Who’s got it better than us?

For most running backs in the NFL, their production starts to dip as they approach their 30th birthday. But 49ers rushing king Frank Gore isn’t like most running backs.

The franchise’s all-time leader in yards, touchdowns and carries is still a workhorse in the backfield at the age of 29. Last week against the Packers, the eight-year veteran ran for 119 yards, joining Colin Kaepernick (181 rushing yards) and Michael Crabtree (119 yards receiving) as the only trio in NFL playoff history to feature two, 100-yard rushers and a 100-yard receiver on the same team.

Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated traced Gore’s career and his ability to bounce back from devastating injuries and still be one of the game’s most productive backs.

“His resiliency is largely due to genetics and toughness, but there is an ample dose of passion in the recipe,” Trotter wrote. “It might not be as public as a Ray Lewis pre-game dance or speech, but it’s obvious behind the closed doors of the locker room, where the soft-spoken 5-foot-9, 217-pound veteran has been known to cry at his locker after losses, or on the practice field, where during training camp in 2007 coaches had to hide his helmet because he kept sneaking onto to the practice field despite having a broken hand.”

Do you want to see the NFC Championship game in Atlanta? 49ers Faithful have until Noon today to enter to win a trip to Atlanta that includes airfare, lodging and game tickets.

Today’s Morning Tailgate also focuses on Colin Kaepernick in the national spotlight, NFC Championship matchups to watch and more.

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times spoke to Kaepernick’s older brother, Kyle, about his kid brother’s success.

Jeffery Chadiha of ESPN.com said Jim Harbaugh’s decision to start Kaepernick will pay big dividends for the 49ers.

Demian Bulwa of the San Francisco Chronicle spoke to Kaepernick’s father, Rick, about the family’s reaction to Colin’s success.

Nate Stuhlbarg of CSNBayArea.com labeled Kaepernick as a new breed of NFL quarterback.

Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group discussed Kaepernick’s ability to bounce back from interceptions.

Josh Dubow of the Associated Press focused on Kaepernick’s role in bringing the Pistol offense to the NFL.

John Parolin of ESPN Stats and Info took a statistical look at Kaepernick’s impact.

NFL.com gives you a behind-the-scenes look of the 49ers-Packers game with the NFL Network show Sound FX.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com discussed Harbaugh’s tactic of placing high school rankings above the players’ lockers.

Evan Silva of RotoWorld.com took a look at three key matchups for both conference championships.

Sports Illustrated put together a photo gallery of 10 storylines to follow this weekend.

Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com discussed the possibility of a HarBowl in the Super Bowl.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote about Greg Roman’s ability to keep the opposing defense guessing.

Maiocco analyzed the upcoming chess match between Roman and Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.

Maiocco and Branch passed along comments from Justin Smith regarding the brace on his left arm.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee examined the athletic 49ers offensive line.

Sports Illustrated looked ahead to the possible role of Vernon Davis and how he could expose the Falcons defense.

Mike Sando and Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com went back and forth discussing the 49ers-Falcons matchup.

Farmer previewed the NFC Championship between San Francisco and Atlanta.

Matt Kawahara of the Sacramento Bee noted the players’ mindset entering the second straight NFC Title game.

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle spoke to LaMichael James about Chip Kelly entering the NFL coaching ranks.

49ers.com’s coverage included a look at Harbaugh’s motivational tactics, Justin Smith’s toughness, Kaepernick’s ability to stay calm under pressure, Andy Lee’s return to the South and Jonathan Goodwin’s role on the athletic o-line. We also brought you a look at the 49ers entering the field, Jim Harbaugh’s press conference (video / transcript), along with Kaepernick, Smith and Willis.

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Happy to announce the Honorary Captains for the #49ers this weekend: Eddie DeBartolo Jr., Charles Haley, & Bryant Young. #CantonBoundNiners—
Jed York (@JedYork) January 17, 2013

That’s a good group of 49ers.