Five burning questions for the 49ers before the Monday night showdown with the Jets

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers open the season on Monday night against the New York Jets. It wasn't a Monday night game, but who could forget the win over the Jets in Week 1 of 1998? Back then, RB Garrison Hearst managed an overtime handoff 96 yards to secure a thrilling 36-30 victory. This game isn't expected to produce as many points, but it could be just as close.

After a dramatic offseason, there are a lot of questions for the 49ers. Some are specific to the season, others are more about the opening game. With the Jets bringing back QB Aaron Rodgers from the Achilles injury that cost him his 2023 season, the national audience will surely be curious to see what Rodgers looks like on Monday night. But there are a few questions that 49ers fans are particularly interested in. Here are five of them:

1. Can the 49ers stop the run?

There's no Dre Greenlaw and probably no Talanoa Hufanga either. What will the 49ers' run defense look like without two of their best defensive players? Last season, especially late in the regular season and in the postseason, the 49ers struggled at times to stop the run. Have they improved in that area? They've swapped defensive coordinators and added some players along the defensive line, including defensive tackles Maliek Collins and Jordan Elliot. Collins is more of a pass rusher, but Elliot should be a welcome addition to the run defense.

Losing Greenlaw hurts the defense, but the 49ers signed former All-Pro linebacker De'Vondre Campbell. The hope is that Greenlaw's loss won't be as bad with the experienced Campbell starting in his place.

Unless the 49ers can stop their run, it will be a long season. If they can, they will likely be among the favorites to win the Super Bowl next February.

2. How will the newly formed defensive line perform?

In addition to Collins and Elliot, the 49ers also signed edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos. And although Gross-Matos will miss Week 1 with a knee injury, Floyd is healthy and ready to put pressure on Rodgers. You may remember that Floyd was the one who hit Rodgers on the Jets' fourth offensive play of the season a year ago, causing the injury, so the two have a history together.

In the offseason, the 49ers lost Arik Armstead, who signed a free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Can Collins and Elliot fill that void? And can Floyd add the presence on the outside that the 49ers have been looking for since 2019?

3. Is Christian McCaffrey healthy?

Christian McCaffrey, the NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year, is listed as questionable due to soreness in his calf and Achilles tendon. Don't worry, the 2023 rushing champion will play on Monday night. But how much will he play? And how effective will he be? Is he healthy or will these injuries hamper him against the Jets?

Backup running back Jordan Mason may get more playing time than usual. And based on how Mason looked in this training camp and preseason, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Still, when you have the best running back in the league on your team, you want him on the field. But the 49ers will be more cautious with McCaffrey this season than they were a year ago.

4. How much will Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk play?

LT Trent Williams ended his strike just a week ago. But it sounds like he will play on Monday and play a lot. At least that is what head coach Kyle Shanahan has indicated. “I want him [play the whole game]but you have to keep an eye on it,” Shanahan said. “We have to talk to him. I haven't done that much with a tackle. O-linemen are different when they rotate … but it's also weird to see Trent just sitting next to us on the sideline. That's something we're going to keep an eye on all game, and he'll be honest with us about how he feels.” The 49ers need Williams on the field. He's a future Hall of Famer and still elite at his position. San Francisco's offense is noticeably better when Williams is in the lineup than when he isn't.

If Williams plays most of the offensive snaps, WR Brandon Aiyuk may not play quite as much. “Don't know [how much he will play] ” Shanahan said. “He usually plays most of the game. You'd probably be surprised he plays that much, but he's in good shape. He's had a really good week. His pain hasn't been too bad. After every practice, he's really pushed himself, done a few extra things afterward, and he looks good and ready to go.”

5. Who will return the kicks?

The 49ers drafted two rookies they hope will be the primary kick returners this season – RB Isaac Guerendo (kickoffs) and WR Jacob Cowing (punts). Guerendo is big and can fly. But he has battled injuries, so it remains to be seen if the 49ers will use him on Monday night. In the only preseason game he played in, he looked good returning kickoffs.

Cowing was one of the preseason stars. He's probably the team's best punt returner. Cowing is confident, has excellent hands and is very quick. But will Shanahan trust a rookie to return punts, especially in the first game of the season under the bright lights of Monday night? Last season, rookie WR Ronnie Bell returned punts, but he botched a few. Count me in as one of those who do. not wants Bell to get punts or kickoffs again.

Most of those questions will be answered on Monday. Some may still remain unanswered. But at least the regular season is here and we'll soon see what the 49ers will look like in 2024.