The San Francisco 49ers have officially ruled out running back Christian McCaffrey for the second consecutive week, as he will miss the Week 2 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings due to calf and Achilles injuries, the team confirmed on Friday.
McCaffrey’s absence in Week 1 came as a surprise, as the All-Pro initially expected to play. However, following the 49ers’ win on Monday, head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that McCaffrey’s injuries were “bothering him a little too much,” leading to his inactivity.
While Shanahan stated earlier in the week that the team was not considering placing McCaffrey on injured reserve (IR)—a move that would sideline him for at least four games—he acknowledged Friday that an IR designation is now possible. According to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, McCaffrey experienced heightened pain on Thursday, which has prompted the team to reconsider its approach.
McCaffrey, 28, has had injury issues throughout his career, particularly during his time with the Carolina Panthers. However, since joining the 49ers in a mid-season trade in 2022, he has managed to stay on the field, appearing in 26 games. In 2023, he led the NFL with 339 touches, 2,023 scrimmage yards, and 21 touchdowns, playing in 19 games, including the postseason.
With McCaffrey out again, Jordan Mason, an undrafted free agent from 2022, is expected to start at running back. Mason filled in during Week 1, rushing for 147 yards on 28 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt, and scoring a touchdown to help San Francisco defeat the New York Jets. The 49ers will likely involve wide receiver Deebo Samuel in the run game as well; Samuel had eight carries in Monday’s victory.
Mason mentioned that he was informed on Friday night before Week 1 that he would start in McCaffrey’s place. However, Shanahan later clarified that the decision regarding the starting running back was not finalized until Monday before the game against the Jets, leading the NFL to investigate the situation.
On Friday, the NFL concluded its review and announced that it found no evidence of any violation of the league’s injury report policy by the 49ers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
