49ers mailbag: What’s up with Aiyuk? And who’s returning punts?

The 49ers were given a much-needed day off Monday after injuries to Brandon Aiyuk, Dee Ford and Ross Reynolds sustained injuries in Sunday’s session (read about it, here).

The good news? The day off gave us a chance to open back up the mailbag. Let’s get to your questions!

Aman asks: If Aiyuk is healthy, is there any chance he isn’t starting week 1?

I’d be shocked. Aiyuk has been arguably the 49ers’ best receiver throughout training camp, and that’s saying something considering all the factors against him.

First, he plays the toughest non-quarterback position on offense to acclimate to. And he’s figured out how to be productive in a short amount of time. It’s not that he’s working only gimmick plays (bubble screens, reverses, etc.) that many believed he would be limited to as a rookie. Aiyuk has been running the entire route tree.

Simply put, before Sunday’s injury (which we still don’t have an update on), he was having the best camp of any rookie receiver I’ve seen since I started covering the team in 2013. It’s been clear from the past week that coach Kyle Shanahan expects him to have a major role on offense. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had the same kind of role Emmanuel Sanders had last season.

Will Aiyuk be as effective as Sanders was? That remains to be seen. Sanders was a savvy veteran who brought a lot to the offense. But I think fans should be excited about what Aiyuk has been able to accomplish.

Elias asks: What will the game plan look like week 1 if Aiyuk isn’t healthy?

Deebo Samuel’s health is also a big question mark here. He’s been running and doing conditioning work during recent practices. Ultimately, it will be up to Shanahan and general manager John Lynch to decide whether or not they want to risk Samuel re-injuring his foot, the worst-case scenario, or having him sit for a few games to mitigate that risk.

Samuel would play if it were up to Samuel. But it’s not. And the 49ers plan to make another deep playoff run, so they’ll need him healthy.

So if Aiyuk can’t play, I’d expect to see a lot of two receiver sets led by Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor with Dante Pettis sprinkled in as the third option.

And I would also expect Shanahan to rely heavily on 21 and 12 personnel, utilizing multiple tight ends and fullback Kyle Juszczky. The 49ers have been one of the NFL’s most efficient offenses in heavy packages, and that would be a great way to incorporate Jordan Reed, who could offset the issues at receiver if he can return to form as one of the better route running tight ends in the league.

But we haven’t seen Reed practice yet, so it’s hard to count on him as a contributor. Suffice to say, the 49ers offense will be in much better shape if Samuel and Aiyuk can both be in the lineup.

Tim asks: Who do you think takes the first punt return... is it Pettis, McKinnon or someone else?

It’s a tricky question because Richie James Jr. seems likely to open the season on the non-football injury list, which could cost him the first six games. The 49ers don’t have a ready-made replacement.

I’d guess it would be Trent Taylor given he’s a lock to make the roster. But does the team want to risk him injuring himself again given how important he could be to the offense? That’s an important question to figure out.

I don’t think the team has seen enough from Pettis to trust him back there, nor is it a lock he makes the team or be one of the active 46 on game days. Pettis has looked good during camp, but it’s still too early to hand him a roster spot.

Tavon Austin seems like a sensible option. He’s only made a handful of catches with the offense during team drills, but he has a lengthy history of returning punts, which is the reason he was brought in.

The 49ers should be leery of having any receiver with a heavy role on offense to return punts. So if it’s not Taylor, Austin would make sense.

Brian asks: Have you noticed a difference in Pettis’ demeanor, physicality, focus, and play?

No doubt. I wrote about it last week.

He looks and sounds like a different person. He said he’s taken to Shanahan’s coaching far better and came to camp with a completely different mindset.

Pettis is one of the few healthy receivers who can play all three spots, and he has more starts in Shanahan’s offense than anyone else in his position group. But that still doesn’t ensure Pettis is going to make the team over, say, Jauan Jennings. And there’s still time for experienced veterans like J.J. Nelson or Jaron Brown to leapfrog Pettis, though it seems unlikely.

I expect Pettis to make the team. Whether or not not he’s an active member of the 46-man roster on Sundays is a different question. We’ll known once we have a grasp on the health situations surrounding Aiyuk and Samuel.

J. Chong asks: What does our RB rotation look like? It looks like Coleman is the odd man out considering how Mostert and McKinnon look.

No, Coleman is very much in the mix. I’d expect him and Mostert to come close to splitting carries again like they did last season. They complement each other well though I’d expect Mostert to lead the team in rushing like he did last season.

McKinnon seems poised to be the long-yardage/third-down back given what he can do in the passing game. He’s been a handful for linebackers and safeties to cover in one-on-one drills and has been one of the best stories of camp.

The 49ers would love for guys like McKinnon and Reed to be healthy and offer secondary options in the passing game given the state of the receiving corps. I’d be shocked if Shanahan didn’t create some special plays to get McKinnon isolated against linebackers in space to take advantage of his quickness and speed advantages.