Brock Purdy and the Faithful might have to start the season without one of their biggest offensive weapons. With the Sept. 7 clash against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium looming, Brandon Aiyuk’s availability is in serious doubt. San Francisco GM John Lynch told KNBR earlier this week that while Aiyuk is making progress, the team isn’t ready to circle a date on the calendar for his return.

“There’s just steps that you have to continue to hit, and I’ll continue to say that Brandon is doing very well in his rehab,” Lynch said. “Do we have an exact date right now? No. I don’t think it’ll be Week 1, but hopefully I’m surprised. We’ll see — continue to watch him work his way through his rehab. But we want him fully healthy. He had a significant injury, so you have to do a significant rehab. He’s doing a really good job with that, and we got to continue to do so.” For Purdy, that means preparing for life without his WR1—at least in the early going.

On top of that, Aiyuk’s stint on the active/PUP list complicates the roster puzzle. Staying on it into Week 1 means a mandatory four-game absence. And just as the Faithful were processing that, the preseason opener dropped more bad news. A 30-9 loss to the Denver Broncos left Kyle Shanahan with more than just scoreboard frustration.

Sure, the Niners jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but then the wheels completely came off. “Mack Jones started. He was some good, some not so good, started off with a beautiful 50-yard throw up the sideline to Jordan Watkins. That’s a throw that not that many Niner quarterbacks can make. I’m not saying any names, but Brock Purdy,” SI’s Grant Cohn said.

Then came the lowlights. Jones got sacked after Shanahan’s ill-fated attempt to block an edge rusher with a backup tight end. Spencer Burford struggled at left tackle. A third-and-nine ended with an interception on a bad route from Jordan Watkins. Still, the rookie flashed potential—catching two of five targets for 53 yards, including that eye-popping 50-yard grab. For Shanahan, the WR depth chart remains a riddle, and for Purdy, it’s a puzzle he’ll need solved fast.

How Brock Purdy can move the ball until the WR corps gets healthy

Last year, the 49ers watched injuries tear through their skill-position group, and this season could be shaping up the same way. With Week 1 closing in fast, Kyle Shanahan’s offense may once again need to lean on creativity and depth to survive the early stretch. The big question? How Brock Purdy and the 49ers can keep moving the ball until the cavalry returns.

At running back, the formula is familiar. Christian McCaffrey will be the workhorse, no matter how often Shanahan talks about load management. We’ve seen this movie before—he says he’ll limit the touches, then CMC ends up carrying the offense, anyway. But the rotation has big questions. Backup Isaac Guerendo is out with a shoulder injury, prompting the Niners to sign Ameer Abdullah for extra camp snaps alongside Patrick Taylor and rookie Jordan James. Whether any of them carve out a real passing-game role remains to be seen.

At tight end, George Kittle remains the Swiss Army knife. He might not get the same volume as other top tight ends—partly because of snap management, partly because he’s the league’s best blocker—but he’s lethal when targeted. Last year, he logged his fourth career season with more than 2.5 yards per route run, per TruMedia. And if the WR room stays thin, Kittle’s target share should spike.

When healthy, the WR pecking order is set—Aiyuk as the X, Pearsall as the Z, and Jennings in the slot. But with injuries clouding that picture, Demarcus Robinson could slot in outside, while rookies Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing battle for inside reps.

Still, Brock Purdy has shown he can keep the offense afloat even with a depleted cast—ranking fifth in EPA per drop-back last season despite shaky TD-to-INT numbers. But to hit their ceiling, the 49ers need their playmakers back sooner rather than later.