San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve for the second time this season after suffering a PCL injury in Sunday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, which almost assuredly will end his season barring a deep playoff run by the Niners.
On Wednesday, he posted a message on Instagram regarding this season’s adversity:
“Football is the greatest game on the planet to me. I love that you can find out exactly who you are without ever saying a word. It lifts you up and breaks you down and it can happen fast. It’s humbling in the best ways. You can do everything right and still fail. That’s life and that’s football. It’s a constant test of wills and those who just keep going tend to reap the benefits of their perseverance. This wasn’t my year, and sometimes when it rains, it pours. You can feel sorry for yourself and listen to the birds, or you can hold the line. I’m grateful for the support of everyone in my corner and promise I’ll work smarter and harder than ever to come back better from this. I love my teammates, I love the 49ers, and I love football. God doesn’t miss. Onward.”
McCaffrey, missed the first eight games of the 2024 season with Achilles tendonitis in both legs. When healthy, he rushed for 202 yards and added 15 catches for 146 yards in four games. He didn’t register a touchdown.
It was a far cry from 2023’s AP Offensive Player of the Year performance, which saw him reach the end zone in 13 different regular season games and register 1,459 yards on the ground, 67 catches for 564 yards and 21 total touchdowns.
He was just as good in the playoffs, putting up 420 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns en route to a berth in the Super Bowl, where San Francisco was bested by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I feel for him. It was a really frustrating year for him,” head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters earlier in the week regarding McCaffrey. “… I think he was really feeling good and about to take off. He just had that really unfortunate injury last night. I know he is as crushed as anyone, but he will get through this. He is a hell of a player, hell of a person and an unbelievable 49ers player. He’ll be back stronger than ever next year to help us.”
Shanahan said it’s a six-week recovery. So McCaffrey is almost certainly finished for the regular season. But if the 49ers made the playoffs, he could come off IR for a second time.
Please don’t @ me about their playoff prospects. I know. https://t.co/W3rX1WhyyL
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) December 3, 2024
The Niners now find themselves incredibly thin at running back, with Jordan Mason also heading to injured reserve due to a high ankle sprain. Rookie Isaac Guerendo will now serve as the team’s starting running back, while the team has made several moves to fill out the depth chart behind him.
49ers today:
– Placed DT Kevin Givens (chest) on IR
– Promoted RB Patrick Taylor Jr. to 53-man roster
– Signed RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn to practice squad
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) December 4, 2024
#49ers awarded Israel Abanikanda off waivers from #Jets
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 3, 2024
In the process, San Francisco’s hopes of rebounding from a 5-7 record and reaching the playoffs is in major jeopardy. The Niners sit 11th in the NFC and three games behind the Washington Commanders in the win column for the No. 7 seed. The team may need to win out to have a chance at reaching the playoffs, and given their continued onslaught of injuries around the roster, that feels like the longest of shots.