SANTA CLARA — It was a novel scene, one not seen in almost a month of training camp.

On one end of the 49ers’ practice field in the shadow of Levi’s Stadium, a player in full pads, with flowing blond hair and a white No. 85 jersey went through individual blocking drills. On the far end of the field, a speedy guy wearing No. 23 sprinted at full speed, cutting on a dime.

In some ways, the 49ers’ final session before they begin their dress rehearsal for the regular season was the first one that really mattered.

That’s because it was the first one involving Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.

“It just changes things,” offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said. “You’ve got two Hall of Fame-caliber players out there who are back out there getting their work in. They practice at a high standard, and they lift everybody up. So it definitely changes your energy a little bit.”

The regular-season opener against the Rams is still more than two weeks away, but it’s going to feel a lot faster. The 49ers leave for Melbourne on Sept. 2, and they must set their 53-man roster three days before that. Good thing then that they seem to be checking off boxes daily.

It would have been especially invigorating for Kubiak to get the two playmakers back, except he didn’t get the chance to dial up any plays. Coach Kyle Shanahan recently resumed those duties, which is just about his final step to fully recovering from last month’s car crash.

“Kind of how it normally is during training camp,” Kubiak said. “Very much normal out there. He’s back behind the huddle, calling [out] plays for the quarterback and the action.”

Shanahan barking out plays. Kittle’s magnificent hair drenched in sweat. McCaffrey streaking upfield. It was like the director finally shouted “Action!” and the stand-ins scurried off the set.

And it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Kittle, who tore his Achilles in January, was still optimistic about his chances of being able to play Week 1 when he addressed reporters last week. But he made it clear that at least one important hurdle was left to clear before he would know his status one way or the other.

He still hadn’t practiced. He had yet to even put on pads.

On Sunday, a remarkable 224 days since the injury, he hit that benchmark. Kittle was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list before practice and took part in some individual, 1-on-1 and team drills, though he stopped short of being a full participant.

“There’s a difference between coming back quickly and coming back and looking like that,” McCaffrey said. “It’s amazing. When 85’s on the field, in shoulder pads and a helmet, everybody on the team feels it.”

It’s still no sure thing that Kittle completes his comeback in time for Week 1, especially with the 32 hours of round-trip air travel involved. But the 49ers activating him from the PUP list signaled a strong belief that he’ll be back before Week 4, still less than nine months post-injury.

“Obviously [we were] expecting George to be back a little later,” right tackle Colton McKivitz said. “He leaves no stone unturned on another way that he can get his body to go, and it shows. To come back that soon from that injury and be out there in pads today, it’s just incredible.”

McCaffrey was more active, including a 25-yard touchdown scamper in 11-on-11 drills. He hadn’t practiced since Aug. 10 with what the 49ers would only describe as “tightness,” leading to speculation about a possible hold-in and concern about his availability for Week 1.

McCaffrey explained that it was all part of a plan to keep him healthy this season.

“Obviously when you don’t practice, the way the media works now, it’s a firestorm,” McCaffrey said. “But this was part of the plan from the jump — to ramp up pretty big, get nine or 10 practices in, kind of come back down and ramp back up so we’re fresh for the duration.”

The Niners’ march to Week 1 begins now. On Tuesday, they’ll go through a “dress rehearsal” practice for their final preseason game, when their starters should get their longest runway yet.

Then, it’s on to Australia. And on to the Rams. Eighteen days to go.

Sunday’s practice served as almost a dress rehearsal for the dress rehearsal, down to the emotions, with quarterback Brock Purdy and linebacker Fred Warner getting into an expletive-laden back-and-forth during one of the final periods.

But one key piece was still missing: defensive end Nick Bosa, who remained out with tendinitis in the right knee he had surgically repaired last September.

Bosa has had plenty of company in the training room over the past month.

But, as camp winds down, the Niners suddenly appear to be in pretty good shape.