SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After four practices this week, the San Francisco 49ers will welcome back left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the regular-season opener Monday night against the New York Jets.
The lingering question for Williams and Aiyuk, who resolved their contract issues in time to begin practicing with the Niners on Tuesday, is how many snaps they will be able to play after missing nearly all of training camp and the preseason.
The answer, it seems, could be different for each player. According to coach Kyle Shanahan on Saturday, Williams is likely to take on a workload closer to his normal workload, while Aiyuk is prepared for a slight reduction in the number of snaps he normally plays.
Because Williams plays offensive tackle, the Niners are less likely to want to replace him in any kind of rotation with backup Jaylon Moore unless absolutely necessary.
Shanahan said Williams returned in good shape and improved in each of the four practices the team held this week. Still, that's not a lot of time to play a full game, meaning Williams will be closely monitored throughout the game by offensive line coach Chris Foerster.
“I would like him to [play the whole game]”But you have to be careful,” Shanahan said. “We have to talk to him. I haven't done this too much with a tackle. Offensive linemen are different with the rotation … but it also seems strange to see Trent sitting on the sideline next to us. That's something we'll monitor throughout the game and he'll be honest with us and how he feels.”
The Niners will make a roster move Monday afternoon to clear a spot for Williams, who was on the reserve/did not report list after sitting out 40 days while awaiting a restructured contract. Williams has been able to practice this week on a roster waiver. Shanahan said a corresponding roster move has not yet been made.
Williams signed a three-year, $82.66 million contract Tuesday that includes $48 million fully guaranteed. Foerster said Williams appears ready to play after a few days of practice.
“Trent is Trent,” Foerster said. “He's still Trent. He goes out there and I think, as always, I think we've talked about before getting guys ready to play, there's that push and pull of going full speed against someone who's pushing you. It affected him a little bit yesterday, but he seemed a lot better today and he'll keep pushing hard tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.”
Aiyuk, who signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension on Aug. 30, had been with the team during training camp and the preseason as a “backup.” That allowed him to attend meetings, though he did not practice. Shanahan said Aiyuk is also in good shape and looks like his old self, but because of the strain of his position, he’s likely to play a bit less. Aiyuk typically plays the majority of the game, as he played 82 percent of San Francisco’s offensive snaps in 16 games last season.
“Don't know [how much he will play] “I haven't done it yet,” Shanahan said. “He plays most of the game normally. I'm probably surprised if he plays the same amount, but he's in good shape. He's had a really good week. His soreness hasn't been too bad. After every practice he's pushed himself hard, done some extra stuff afterward and looks good and is ready to go.”
Aiyuk and quarterback Brock Purdy even sought out extra time to work together, hosting a one-on-one throwing session last weekend to get on the same page. Purdy said the extra time was beneficial.
“It was huge,” Purdy said. “Just me and him on the field and getting back to our basic fundamentals like routes and everything else. … It was a good day for me to get back in sync and see how he moves and get a feel for him again. This week in practice we picked up where we left off.”
With Aiyuk and Williams ready to go, the 49ers officially listed running back Christian McCaffrey as questionable with calf and Achilles injuries. McCaffrey participated in a limited practice all week but said Friday he had no doubt he would play against the Jets and was hopeful he could handle his usual workload as the team’s primary running back.
Shanahan said Saturday that McCaffrey's injury is not related to the one he suffered in Week 17 of last season against the Washington Commanders, but added: “I think it's similar.”
Jordan Mason would be the first back on any snap McCaffrey can't take.
Safety Talanoa Hufanga, still recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee, is questionable after returning to practice over the past two weeks. The injury occurred Nov. 20 of last year and Hufanga spent most of camp on the physically unable to perform list.
While Hufanga is unlikely to play against the Jets, his return is close.
“I don't think it's necessarily too soon,” Shanahan said. “I think he's looked great, so we're trying to be as safe as possible with him. Be smart with him. We haven't ruled him out just in case there's an emergency or anything like that, which means if needed, he would be available.”
Elsewhere on the injury report, defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) and linebacker Dee Winters (ankle) have been ruled out against the Jets. Like McCaffrey, guard Aaron Banks (pinkie) is questionable.
