San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Saturday that he hopes All-Pro tackle Trent Williams will play the entire game on Monday night against the New York Jets. However, Williams only returned to practice this week after a lengthy holdout, raising concerns about whether he'll be ready for a full workload in Week 1.
"I'd like him to [play the entire game], but you gotta watch it, we gotta talk to him," Shanahan said. "I haven't done this too much with a tackle. O-linemen are different with rotating and stuff [compared to] skill positions and everything, but also, it seems weird to just watch Trent sitting on the sideline next to us.
"But that's something we'll be on top of throughout the game, and he'll be honest with us and how he feels. And I know [offensive line coach] Chris [Foerster] will be watching that a ton."
Shanahan also addressed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's workload. Aiyuk returned to practice this week after his own contract standoff, but the coach is uncertain how much the star receiver will play against the Jets.
"I think he plays most of the game, usually, and I'd probably be surprised with that same amount [against the Jets]," Shanahan explained. "But he's in good shape. He's had a really good week. His soreness hasn't been too big after each practice. He's pushed it real hard, done some stuff extra after. He looks good, and he's ready to go."
Shanahan was optimistic when asked about the chemistry between quarterback Brock Purdy and Aiyuk.
"They've been great," Shanahan noted. "They started throwing together. Saturday was the first time. They came up here alone and just did it. And I think they did it Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and today, so they haven't missed a beat. He'll get back in the flow of things. It's putting a lot on a guy just to expect him to be the exact same way, but he does look that way in practice, and he'll get better each week."
The 49ers will host the Jets at Levi's Stadium on Monday. Kickoff is set for 5:15 p.m. PT.
