The 49ers are heading into Week 1 in Australia with two questions tied together by the same problem: how to keep Christian McCaffrey dangerous when he is off the field, and who holds up inside if Connor Colby gets the start. Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey can still do everything the 49ers want in the run game, but the team has to change its passing-down plan when he is not on the field.
That matters now because the opener against the Rams in Australia is close enough to force real decisions, not theory. Shanahan said there are things the 49ers are only going to ask Christian McCaffrey to do, and when he comes off the field the threat changes for the defense. Deebo Samuel can also line up in the backfield, but that does not fully replace what McCaffrey gives the offense on passing downs.
The interior line picture is still unsettled around Colby, a second-year player who started six games a year ago. He, rookie Carver Willis, Robert Jones and Austen Pleasants all took turns trying to win the job, with Jones released and Pleasants beginning the season on injured reserve. Colby is expected to go in Week 1, while Willis could also see action on Friday against the Rams in Australia.
What makes the setup harder is the level of the test. Colby will not face Donald, but he still has to deal with Braden Fiske and Poona Ford, which is enough to expose any weak spot inside. For a line that is still sorting out its best combination, that is not a clean runway into the opener.
The strange thing is how much of the public conversation around the 49ers this week is about control. Brock Purdy, who has said he has to think about stewarding the job God has given him well, also admitted he can get caught staring at his phone when he could be helping Jenna clean the post-dinner dishes, and he wants to do a better job with their 13-month-old daughter, Millie. That same Purdy has also screamed at Jordan Watkins on Aug. 8 after an interception and bellowed at Fred Warner on Aug. 23 after floating a completion over him, a reminder that his version of leadership is intentional but not always gentle.
That friction fits the broader picture in Australia: the 49ers want more explosive McCaffrey plays this season, but the first real answer may come from how often they have to adjust around him, and whether Colby can survive long enough to keep the interior intact. If the front holds and McCaffrey’s touches stay targeted, San Francisco can protect both its run game and its passing-game rhythm. If either part breaks, the opener will reveal it quickly.
For now, the next thing that matters is Friday, when the Rams in Australia finally force the 49ers to turn these plans into live snaps.
