The 49ers caught a break before their Week 1 meeting with the Rams: Aaron Donald will not travel to Australia, and he won’t be on the field for the game.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Donald is not flying with Los Angeles, which immediately changes the complexion of the matchup for San Francisco. What looked like a brutal test against one of the league’s most disruptive defenders now becomes a much more manageable opener for the 49ers.
That matters even more because San Francisco still doesn’t have a settled answer at left guard. There’s no clear-cut starter there right now, and the team is expected to rotate players at the spot.
Facing Donald in that kind of situation would have been a serious problem. Without him in the lineup, the pressure eases considerably.
The timing helps the 49ers too. They won’t have to deal with Donald until December, when they host the Rams in the second meeting. By then, they should have a better handle on the left guard position and a clearer sense of how to deal with him.
There’s another layer to this, as well: more games will give San Francisco more film on Donald and a better read on how the Rams are using him. That could matter when the rematch comes around.
Kyle Shanahan said the team had already spent plenty of time preparing for Donald after the defensive star announced his return.
"I wasn’t like crushed on the Sunday that he decided because I decided a month ago it was happening," said Kyle Shanahan. "So, I prepared for that the right way and it is what it is. He's a hell of a player and we'll have our work cut out for him."
Even so, the 49ers now have to toss out a good chunk of that game plan for Week 1. They had to prepare as if Donald would play, but the reality is simpler now: one of the Rams’ best players won’t be there, and San Francisco no longer has to build its opener around him.
In Other News...
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49ers Just Sent A Strong Signal On George Kittles Availability
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The bigger takeaway is the one the move points toward: optimism around George Kittles availability for the regular-season opener. The 49ers already have other tight end options and some practice-squad depth to lean on if injuries pop up, so there is no immediate need to force anything. Still, keeping Willis nearby is a practical safeguard, and it suggests the team is comfortable enough with where Kittle stands to avoid a more urgent roster shuffle. [Read more 🡒]