SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers will start the season on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets without one of its top players.
49ers announced Monday afternoon that running back Christian McCaffery will be inactive for the game due to an injury to his calf and Achilles. He started the day listed as "questionable" on the team's injury report.
Kickoff is set for 5:15 p.m. PDT.
Coverage on ABC10 begins at 4:30 p.m. with a Special Edition of ABC10 News. Monday Night Football coverage starts at 5 p.m.
After the game, there will be a recap and analysis with the ABC10 sports team of Kevin John and Matt George from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
The game can also be watched on ESPN's family of channels and the NFL app.
McCaffery's Status
San Francisco All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey is now listed as inactive for the season opener against the New York Jets with a sore calf and Achilles.
McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field this week.
He was limited all week in practice and is officially questionable Monday morning for the game despite saying Friday he had no doubt he would play.
The 49ers also will have All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams and star receiver Brandon Aiyuk available for the opener after they missed all of training camp practices during contract disputes.
Locked On 49ers Preview
The Locked On 49ers game preview episode breaks down the keys to victory against the Jets, emphasizing the need to avoid overusing injured players like McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams. The performance of new defensive line additions Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd is also scrutinized, along with the challenges facing the 49ers' offensive line
► Get More 49ers Coverage: Subscribe to the Locked On 49ers podcast and follow on YouTube. You can also find episodes on the ABC10+ streaming and mobile app.
Aaron Rodgers is Back
Aaron Rodgers makes his return to the field for the New York Jets one year after his highly anticipated debut with the team ended after just four plays.
Rodgers is set to start the season opener Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers in his first game back since tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 1 last season.
Rodgers, 40, spent his first 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, winning four MVPs and one Super Bowl.
He was traded before the 2023 season to the quarterback-starved Jets, who have been searching for a franchise QB since Joe Namath left nearly a half-century ago.
Saleh's Return
Robert Saleh and Kyle Shanahan spent four years going up against each other on the practice field when Saleh served as defensive coordinator under Shanahan on the San Francisco 49ers staff.
Now Saleh’s defense gets to match up with Shanahan’s offense on a far bigger stage when the Jets visit the Niners Monday night in the first meeting between the teams since Saleh left San Francisco to take over as head coach in New York in 2021.
It’s one of the most intriguing matchups in the season opener with the stingy Jets defense trying to slow down Shanahan's offense.
