The 49ers finished with the No. 21 scoring offense in the league last season. A large part of that was due to the amount of injuries the offense suffered. They enter the 2019 season mostly healthy, with only Jerick McKinnon ruled out for any significant time.
Here are the six players to watch on offense in the season opener Sunday in Tampa Bay:
QB Jimmy Garoppolo
Sunday will be Garoppolo’s first regular season game since tearing his ACL in Week 3 last year and ending his 2018 season. He’s coming off a preseason where he played in two games with vastly different results. He was able to shake off the rust after his start against Denver with a solid showing in Kansas City. This game will be the next important step in Garoppolo’s process to returning to his 2017 form.
RB Tevin Coleman
The running back position took a hit with McKinnon landing on season-ending IR for the second time in as many seasons. This will up the usage on both Coleman and Matt Breida, who are likely to split the carries. One of Coleman’s most productive seasons came in 2016 with the Falcons when Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator. He averaged 40 yards rushing and 32.4 yards receiving per game that season in Atlanta, with 11 combined touchdowns on the ground and through the air.
WR Dante Pettis
Pettis will enter the season as the 49ers’ de facto No. 1 receiver after a rookie campaign that saw him miss four-plus games due to injury. He had a rough preseason, and Shanahan challenged Pettis to provide more consistency. The head coach was trying to get the receiver to show more urgency on the field and not feel he’d be handed a roster spot after his rookie season. Sunday will be Pettis’ first chance to prove himself worthy of the ‘top receiver’ label.
TE George Kittle
2018 was a breakout season for Kittle. He broke the single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end, while leading the 49ers in catches and yards. A majority of his big season came with either CJ Beathard or Nick Mullens as the starting quarterback. Garoppolo is back under center heading into Week 1 though. The tight end was targeted 13 times with seven receptions for 112 yards in two full games with Garoppolo starting last season.
WR Deebo Samuel
Samuel had a standout first preseason with six catches for 104 yards, and two rushes for 59 yards. The 49ers drafted Samuel and Jalen Hurd as weapons that can add some versatility to the offense. Samuel showed his explosive, big-play ability in the preseason with a couple long runs and some tough catches in traffic. If he gets rolling early, the second-round pick could get some Offensive Rookie of the Year love.
WR Richie James
James is another receiver who had a big preseason and could have an expanded role in the offense with Trent Taylor’s injury. He led the team in receptions, yards, and targets during the preseason and could see a good amount of snaps Sunday. James may also get kick return duties after performing well in that role last year and in the preseason.
