Dr. Mike Pick

All eyes will be on Philadelphia Thursday night, as the Great One returns to competition. Tom Brady hasn’t played in almost a year. His blown-out knee now healed, Brady is a rare breed in today’s NFL — he’s a veteran player who’s actually looking forward to the preseason. As the summer schedule kicks off in earnest Thursday, Brady is far from the only interesting storyline.

Wide receivers Michael Spurlock and Arnaz Battle took shotgun snaps in the formation Wednesday morning. Running back Michael Robinson, out with a groin injury, will also practice the Taser when healthy. All three players are former college quarterbacks.

Head coach Mike Singletary announced that Shaun Hill will be his starting quarterback this Friday night when the 49ers host the Denver Broncos at Candlestick Park. “Shaun Hill will start the game,” Singletary said on Thursday after the team held a “mock game” practice. “I do not know who will start next week. Really it could have been Shaun Hill or Alex Smith. We chose Shaun Hill. Don’t read anything into it.”

Offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye said he’s been one of the best workers on the team. Quarterbacks Shaun Hill and Alex Smith proclaimed he’s in the best shape of his life. And none of those statements are farfetched.

f not for football, Mike Singletary might have hit it big on Madison Avenue. The 49ers coach speaks in the language of jingles and catchphrases. It didn’t take the team’s marketing department long to notice. They adopted Singletary as their No. 1 ad man for 2009, plastering his bon mots on billboards, print ads and the Internet.