New York Jets could potentially dodge two 49ers superstars in season opener

The San Francisco 49ers offense features elite playmakers in running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, but there's a chance that neither will be in the lineup when the New York Jets visit Levi's Stadium for the Monday Night Football season opener.

The trade rumors have been simmering since Aiyuk apparently asked out of San Francisco this past offseason. Now, there appears to be legs to potential deals as ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the team has started listening to offers from both the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots.

While it's uncertain whether or not Aiyuk will be dealt prior to Week 1, the same can be said for McCaffrey's availability against the Jets. The RB1 went onto the shelf this week after sustaining a calf injury.

"Christian has a calf strain, did it a couple days ago. It's alright. He didn't pull it or anything, but you guys probably won't see him this preseason," said 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Tuesday.

With Elijah Mitchell, McCaffrey's understudy, dealing with a hamstring strain, San Francisco brought running back Matt Breida back into the fold.

Naturally, the 49ers match up much better against the Jets vaunted defense when Aiyuk and McCaffrey are both on the field. Aiyuk made 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns over 16 regular season games in 2023. Meanwhile, McCaffrey led all NFL players in yards from scrimmage (2,023) and his 21 touchdowns were tied for the most.

New York and San Francisco kick off their regular season schedules by clashing on September 9 at 8:15 pm ET.

The storylines ahead of the matchup are already abundant. Jets head coach Robert Saleh was the 49ers defensive coordinator for four seasons prior to landing with New York. Gang Green defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was a linebacker for San Francisco during his playing days. Jets RB1 Breece Hall was college teammates with 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy at Iowa State.

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