San Francisco has officially placed All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey on IR due to ongoing calf and Achilles tendon injuries. The move, which was confirmed on Saturday, will keep him out of action until at least Week 6.
A surprise inactive for the team’s season opener vs. the New York Jets, the 49ers hoped that an IR trip could be avoided. However, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan, McCaffrey suffered his worst day in terms of pain management on Thursday this week necessitating the move.
“I hate not playing,” McCaffrey told reporters on Wednesday. “But I look at it as a chess move and something that hopefully you can benefit from the rest of the season.”
While the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year struggled with injuries during his time with the Carolina Panthers, he managed to turn in a relatively healthy 2023 campaign, suiting up for 16 contests out west. That led to 1,459 rushing yards, 14 TD’s on the ground and another 564 yards receiving to go along with 7 more TD’s through the air. When all was said and done, the 28 year old recorded 2,023 yards from scrimmage across 16 starts.
In his place, Jordan Mason stepped in as the lead back for San Francisco in Week 1 and recorded 147 yards and a TD on 28 carries. Overall the 49ers offence didn’t appear to miss a beat, racking up 401 yards and posting 32 points against the vaunted New York Jets defence.
The 49ers travel to Minnesota for a Week 2 showdown with the Vikings at 1pm ET.
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