49ers vs. Chiefs: Preseason Week 1 Preview

The San Francisco 49ers head to Arrowhead Stadium on Friday, August 11 to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the first preseason game of the 2017 NFL season. Here is the preview with the latest news, X-factors, injuries and much more.

At last, meaningful football is here. While it still may be just preseason football, these games carry meaningful weight in regards to roster construction — especially with the San Francisco 49ers.

With a new regime in place, this is the official beginning of an era for the 49ers. It will be Kyle Shanahan’s first ever experience as a head coach and the first time John Lynch will be watching an NFL game as a general manager.

An activity-filled offseason only heightens the importance of Friday’s preseason opener, as there are a handful of new faces in town trying to make the roster. And contrary to prior preseasons, even veterans are going to see a healthy amount of game action. This is Lynch talking about preseason playing time (h/t Niners Nation):

"I think guys that will play less, but we’re a new new group. And so we understand that even though we have some guys that have kind of earned that right, we need them to play, because we need to evaluate the team as a whole. And so, I think there will be some guys who play less, and some of that may be health-related, but really Kyle and I have talked about, ‘hey we need snaps.’ So, probably playing more than a traditional team in the preseason."

Really, it’s going to be an open audition for most of the team for the duration of this preseason. Outside of a few players, no one is really guaranteed a starting spot.

The same cannot be said for Kansas City, as this team knows its identity and a majority of its starters. There’s not much new in terms of additions and losses for the Chiefs, so the mystery level is far lower than that of the 49ers.