The San Francisco 49ers ruled out superstar running back Christian McCaffrey for the second consecutive week because of lingering calf and Achilles issues.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers are considering the injured reserve list for McCaffrey, who dealt with pain after practice Thursday. The 49ers play on the road against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
If McCaffrey lands on IR, he will miss at least four games.
“It’s one of those deals where it can be feeling good one day and then the next day it flares,” 49ers general manager John Lynch told radio station KNBR. “And so it’s been very frustrating for Christian, I know, and frustrating for us only because he’s such an elite player. But primary for us is the long view.”
McCaffrey, the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year, led the league in rushing yards last season with a career-best 1,459 to go along with 14 touchdowns. McCaffrey also added 564 receiving yards and a career-high seven receiving touchdowns.
“We have to be really smart and understand that this is a long year,” Lynch said. “And we need Christian fully healthy out there and we don’t want to compromise anything.”
That the team is considering IR for McCaffrey is new. On Wednesday, Shanahan said the star running back having to miss four games was not a consideration.
Can Jordan Mason step up again?
The specter of McCaffrey missing Sunday’s game doesn’t seem quite as ominous as it did ahead of the New York Jets game because his backup, Jordan Mason, did so well versus the Jets. Mason had the heaviest workload — 28 carries — for a San Francisco runner in 11 years and emerged from the contest unscathed.
However, the depth behind Mason remains a major question mark. Deebo Samuel took 10 carries against New York, a number that might be hard to sustain over a 17-game season. The next true tailback in the pecking order is rookie Isaac Guerendo, a fourth-round pick.
After Guerendo is Patrick Taylor Jr. Guerendo played three offensive snaps against the Jets but neither he nor Taylor got a carry. — Matt Barrows, 49ers beat writer
How long can the 49ers play without McCaffrey?
The 49ers are not in any way incentivized to rush McCaffrey back, especially after Mason’s electric performance in the season opener. The team has a talent buffer that it can use while McCaffrey continues to rehab. That being said, the fact Shanahan said McCaffrey’s “worst day” health-wise was Thursday is not a good sign.