The San Francisco 49ers are on a revenge tour for the 2024 NFL Season. After another Niners’ Super Bowl stumble, Brock Purdy and company are looking to get over the hump and bring silverware back to the Bay. In order to accomplish this, the offense added a new weapon who played with Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson.
The Niners are a championship-caliber team. Had a couple of plays gone their way on their Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs they’d now be the reigning champs. Yet, football is a game of inches and unpredictables. To offset this truth, Kyle Shanahan and the front office are making sure their squad is as deep as possible.
Terrace Marshall Jr has signed with the 49ers amidst Brandon Aiyuk’s never-ending story. The new San Francisco wideout had a succesful college career catching footballs from Joe Burrow.
The former 2021 first round pick joins the Niners after his three-year experience with the Carolina Panthers. During which, his production was not as expected, yet Shanahan believes he can produce like he did back in a WR star studded LSU room with Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase.
With the addition of Marshall Jr, San Fran has yet another wide receiver who offers a high ceiling for a low cost. In addition to Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy will now have a new weapon in his WR room.
49ers key players expected to be out for Week 1
The Niners roster is stacked. However, it is easy to get carried away by their skill-position players and miss out on other key contributors whose absence is deeply felt in the gameplan. Regardless, Shanahan is focused on the NFL Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets and that won’t be guided by a certain name.
Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk are the main topics of concern inside the head coach’s room and frankly throughout the whole organization. Both players heldout from team’s practices due to contractual disputes. The clock is ticking and neither player’s situation improved and thus Shanahan does not foresee them starting.
“We are getting close to playing a game. So, like, my mind is completely on preparing for a game without those guys,” Shanahan admitted on press conference.
San Francisco’s Injury Report
Bad news first. Dre Greenlaw has not been activated off the PUP list, although that was expected for the star pass rusher who tore his Acchiles tendon on an unfortunate non-contact accident during Super Bowl LVIII. On the other side of the ball, backup runningback Elijah Mitchell has been placed on season-ending IR due to an undisclosed injury.
On another note, Talanoa Hufanga, the young safety sensation, has been activated off the PUP list and thus can start in any of the first four games of the season. Hufanga tore his ACL during his breakout season in 2023, and his absence was a tough blow to the Niners’ secondary. His return to practice is a positive note for San Francisco´s staple defense.
The 49ers roster is deep and has the raw talent to go on another deep run. However, the physical toll has been their kryptonite and continues to affect them week in and week out. If the Niners can avoid the injury bug this season, they are well set to play deep into January.