Jimmy Garoppolo will be the first San Francisco 49ers quarterback to take the field when the team hosts the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium on Saturday. He won't have all his offensive starters with him, though. Head coach Kyle Shanahan plans to hold out several key players, but it's not necessarily due to injuries.
Two of those sidelined players will be offensive linemen. In addition, the team's featured running back, offensive weapon … I mean … fullback, and a key wide receiver also won't play.
"I think all the starters are going except [Alex] Mack's not going," Shanahan told team reporter Keiana Martin this week. "Trent's [Williams] not going. We're going to hold [Mohamed] Sanu out, and we're going to hold Raheem [Mostert] out, and [Kyle Juszczyk]."
The plan is for the starters to get one series against the Chiefs, so those who do head onto the football field at the start won't be out there for long.
Shanahan had previously revealed that wide receiver Jalen Hurd would also sit out Saturday's game, and tight end MyCole Pruitt has missed time with a calf injury.
On the defensive side of the football, pass rushers Dee Ford and Nick Bosa won't play. While Shanahan hasn't specifically said Bosa would sit out Saturday's game, he did note that the defender won't even get involved in team drills until before the final preseason game, at the earliest.
Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and defensive end Samson Ebukam have been held out of practices and probably won't go. Cornerback K'Waun Williams is dealing with a sore hip. His status is worth keeping an eye on.
Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles has been in the concussion protocol.