The injury saga surrounding Christian McCaffrey has been one of the NFL’s oddest storylines this offseason and early in the regular season. The San Francisco 49ers’ star running back and reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year has been grappling with a calf issue since early August.
Given the calf’s proximity to the Achilles, there’s naturally more concern than with other injuries. For a while, reports from the 49ers camp echoed Aaron Rodgers‘ famous R-E-L-A-X comment from 2014.
While Rodgers’ reassurance led to an 11-2 record, a Conference Championship appearance, and a second MVP award, the 49ers’ situation has been quite different.
Despite assurances that McCaffrey’s preseason and training camp absences were merely precautionary, the team unexpectedly declared him inactive for their season opener. His status for Week 2 now seems highly uncertain.
Here’s the latest on McCaffrey’s injury, which continues to raise concerns for fantasy managers and 49ers fans alike.
Initially, the injury drew attention in early August when McCaffrey was reported to miss the preseason due to a calf strain. At that time, he indicated he would have played if it had been a regular season game, and it was expected he’d be ready for Week 1.
By mid-August, McCaffrey was seen doing individual drills, suggesting his preseason absence was precautionary. Reports on September 3 stated he had returned to practice, increasing confidence that he would participate in the regular season.
Leading up to their Monday night game against the New York Jets, McCaffrey was listed as a limited participant in practice. Both general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed optimism about his availability. Even on Sunday morning, reports suggested he might receive a full workload, despite still being listed as questionable.
However, just over an hour before kickoff, it was announced that McCaffrey would be inactive. Backup Jordan Mason stepped up, delivering an impressive performance with 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown.
Mason’s postgame comment about knowing he would start on Friday added to the confusion. Shanahan later claimed Mason misspoke, but this contradicted the previous reports of McCaffrey’s expected participation.
Compounding the issue, McCaffrey is now also dealing with Achilles tendinitis, adding to the worry. Some reports suggest McCaffrey might have played if it were a playoff game, but there’s a real possibility he could miss Week 2 as well.
McCaffrey was again a limited practice participant on Wednesday. In his absence, Mason is likely to continue receiving a significant workload, with Deebo Samuel Sr. also contributing in the backfield. Samuel had eight carries for 23 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. The 49ers will rely on this approach to compensate for McCaffrey’s potential absence in their upcoming game against the 1-0 Minnesota Vikings.
