The San Francisco 49ers have an intriguing opener for the 2024 regular season, but the New York Jets will likely miss a key player. Besides the connections between the two franchises due to Jets HC Robert Saleh and several players who followed him to New York, both teams are entering this season with Super Bowl hopes.
However, the Jets will have extra difficulty due to DE Haason Reddick likely missing Monday Night Football due to his continued contract holdout. According to the Associated Press, Saleh said that it’s “fair to say” that Reddick will miss the contest against San Francisco.
“He’s got to sort through the financial stuff, which is none of my business,” Saleh followed up. “I said it when I first got hired that our job is to help these guys make money. So, I always stay clear of it. Our job is to coach him when he gets here and love him up when he gets here.”
New York will also be without special teams standout Zaire Barnes due to an ankle injury, as well as backup offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer.
Christian McCaffrey Set to Play Monday
On the other side of things, San Francisco can rest easy knowing their top offensive weapon, RB Christian McCaffrey is planning to play. The 2023 All-Pro missed four weeks of training camp due to an Achilles issue.
According to the Mercury News, when McCaffrey was asked if he had any concerns about suiting up against the Jets, he dropped a succinct answer:
“Nope.”
McCaffrey has avoided a major injury since arriving in San Francisco, but it will be interesting to see if head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers staff limit his workload to avoid any bigger issues.
Meanwhile, the 49ers do have a few players whose status’ are unclear. DE Yetur Gross-Matos and Dee Winters have yet to be an actual participant in practice this week. Safety Talanoa Hufanga, guard Aaron Banks and running back Isaac Guerendo were all limited participants this week like McCaffrey.
49ers Could Trade for Haason Reddick
While Reddick and the Jets are at odds over his new deal, push may come to shove. Reddick just joined New York this offseason via trade from the Philadelphia Eagles, but has basically done nothing with the team while he holds out for a contract.
That could lead to yet another trade. Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox explored possible trade partners for the Jets should they bail on Reddick, and he explained why the 49ers make sense as a destination.
“The 49ers might also want to kick the tires on Reddick. San Francisco could face major cap issues in 2025, when quarterback Brock Purdy will be extension-eligible, but it has $46.4 million in cap space available now,” Knox wrote. “San Francisco is also firmly in its Super Bowl window and may need more depth in its pass-rushing rotation. Offseason acquisitions Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos have both been dealing with knee injuries.”
Reddick is now a two-time Pro Bowler after a 11-sack season in 2023. He has totaled 11 or more sacks in each of his past four seasons.
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Jets’ Star Pass Rusher Will Likely Miss 49ers’ MNF Opener