The San Francisco 49ers will be without several playmakers on Sunday when they face the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. That includes tight end George Kittle on offense and cornerback Richard Sherman and pass rusher Dee Ford on defense.
The good news is that some reinforcements — at least on offense — appear to be on their way.
Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Mohamed Sanu are expected to make their 49ers debuts. Aiyuk, a rookie, will be making his NFL debut.
Help for 49ers: WR Mohamed Sanu, who played under Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta, is expected to make his San Francisco debut today vs. Jets, per source. Plus, first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk is expected to make his NFL debut today as well after missing last week due to injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 20, 2020
Of course, this isn't exactly breaking news as head coach Kyle Shanahan already confirmed this during a conversation with NBC Sports Bay Area after intimating over the week that both would be active.
"He'll definitely be in," Shanahan said of Aiyuk. "I don't know how much he'll go."
The coach also said he expects Sanu to dress and be ready to play because the team is short on healthy receivers.
"We'll get those guys out there," Shanahan added.
Aiyuk had a full week of practice while Sanu practiced on Friday, which was his first opportunity to join his new teammates.
The 49ers (0-1) and Jets (0-1) kick off at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT).
