SANTA CLARA — There is an 80-percent chance of rain in Chicago on Sunday for the 49ers' season opener facing the Bears, but Brandon Aiyuk and Elijah Mitchell are not worried.
Aiyuk spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area on Thursday and shared that as a wide receiver, he watches the weather closely as game day approaches. What the club could experience in the Windy City is not enough to make him change his gloves or cleats.
“Unless it’s raining super hard then I will just take them off,” Aiyuk said. “That Indy game, I’ve never played in anything like that. You just pray and hope when the ball is coming your way, because you’ve got more problems than some gloves.”
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Nothing will compare to when the club faced a “bomb cyclone” at Levi’s Stadium on October 24, 2021. The weather and the Indianapolis Coast got the better of the 49ers in a torrential downpour that left the team and the fans stunned after a 30-18 loss.
Mitchell also referenced the game vs. the Colts which he said was extraordinary. If it does rain on Sunday during the opener, it could never be as game-changing as what the second-year ball carrier saw during that game.
In the loss to the Colts, Mitchell was still able to rack up 18 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown. Aiyuk was less productive but caught his one target for six yards and registered one carry for three yards.
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“You always think about it, but rain or not, you still got to go,” Mitchell said. “When it rains you always want to protect the ball but we always practice in contact, to always do wrist across the elbow for extra security.”
As of Friday afternoon, the weather is predicted to be 69 degrees Fahrenheit with 15-mile-per-hour winds and 84 percent humidity. While some players have been concerned about the playing surface at Soldier Field, Aiyuk shared that he actually prefers its "natural feel" and he is excited to kick off the season on Sunday.
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