49ers news: What are the biggest uncertainties heading into Week 1?

The San Francisco 49ers are a full-go ahead of Week 1 with their core players back, as Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk are both back at practice ahead of their Monday Night Football contest against the New York Jets.

After a months-long negotiation with both players, it’s a good sign that both players are back in the fold for a full week of preparation with the team, as the 49ers definitely missed both players throughout training camp.

But, as the team prepares for Week 1, are there any remaining uncertainties for head coach Kyle Shanahan?

“I love going through a whole training camp and knowing exactly what you’ve got right away and just preparing everyone for Week 1 and then working off that,” Shanahan said. “It is a little different when your left tackle hasn’t been there, your guards, your running back and your starting receiver. Then you’ve got also [LB Dre] Greenlaw, you’ve got Huf (S Talanoa Hufanga). But those guys, Huf has got a possibility this week. Greenlaw we’re going to have to wait on.

“But the guys on offense, there’s the little question marks with the injuries and the guy’s not here and then all of a sudden they are here, the guys are healthy. But, we’ve still got to work. It’s awesome to have our guys back. I feel so good about our team especially being able to finish these and get those two guys back contractually, get some of the health back that guys have been missing on offense which feels great.”

Shanahan has always been particular about details, so it’s no surprise that things changed for him this training camp without his star left tackle and receiver practicing.

But, he’s confident that the Williams and Aiyuk are conditioned well enough to the point that they have no limitations in practice ahead of Week 1. Now, it’s team to have the team build that coveted cohesion once again as a group.

“It wasn’t [frustrating] at first because I understood how it was going to be,” Shanahan said about the holdouts. “I thought it would end up being faster. But, it got more frustrating the last week because like I said to the other questions, I want guys here. I want to prepare the guys for the season, and you only can do so much on your own. But the bottom line is they’re here and we’ve got a long season ahead of us. We’re pumped now for Week 1.”

“Now, I’m all about going to work and usually you start that pretty early in training camp. I’ve got a lot of confidence in these guys that they’re conditioned, they’ve done everything. But football’s about playing as a team and having 11 guys move together and that’s what we’re trying to get done in these practices.”

Will the two returnees be a full go in Week 1?

“I’d be surprised with that, but my expectations are that I’d be surprised with [the] 98-percent [normal snap count],” Shanahan said about playing time for both players. “But I’ll see as the week goes. We’ve had one practice with [Brandon Aiyuk]. He threw with Brock over the weekend. We got one practice with Trent. Today will be their second. We’ll see how they are these three days and then kind of evaluate it.”

Still, it’s a good sign that the 49ers have their full core back at practice, as they’ll have a tough matchup in Week 1 against the New York Jets, who are looking to make some noise as quarterback Aaron Rodgers is back from an injury, while their top-ranked defense still remains.

While I don’t expect Aiyuk to be a full go, he should still have an impact in the passing game and will likely get star cornerback Sauce Gardner in coverage, leading to a tough battle offensively in his return.

As for Williams, it’s uncertain how the 49ers will treat their star left tackle, as he doesn’t play a skill position where rotations are more common. But, if anyone could step in and play a full game off no preparation, it would be someone like Trent.