Who will be the 49ers punt returner come Week 1? The secretive head coach isn't sharing that information either. However, he indicated that he has no problem putting a starting wide receiver, like Brandon Aiyuk, back there on special teams.
"Yeah, I definitely think Aiyuk can do it," Shanahan said on the Murph & Mac show, "and I have no problem putting a starting receiver back there. So, [not doing that] has never been a philosophy of mine, and that hasn't changed yet. That's why I feel we've got some guys on our team that can do it."
Could we see Aiyuk back there during Week 1 against the Detroit Lions? Possibly. Shanahan isn't revealing too much about his game plan against the Lions, obviously feeling there isn't a competitive advantage to doing so. Like a lot of other things, we may just have to wait until the 49ers hit the field on September 12 to see what happens.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.
[omny https://www.knbr.com/2021/09/02/shanahan-gives-the-latest-on-lances-injury-provides-some-clarity-on-punt-returner-situation/]
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