San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey - Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo
Major news is coming from the San Francisco 49ers as star running back Christian McCaffrey is now a candidate for going on the Injured Reserve list. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year missed the first week of the season, and now will likely miss a couple of weeks. Here is more information on McCaffrey potentially moving to the Injured Reserve list, and what this means for the 49ers.
Kyle Shanahan on Christian McCaffrey
While speaking to the media, head coach Kyle Shanahan provided injury updates for the upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings. While ruling McCaffrey out, Shanahan did say that putting McCaffrey on the Injured Reserve list is something to consider.
The injury is a mix of a calf strain and achilles tendinitis. Shanahan did confirm that the star running back does not need surgery, which is good news. The reason for McCaffrey now potentially being placed on IR is Shanahan said “Yesterday was his worst day.” This implies there was a set back, as McCaffrey has been practicing more with the team. Now, the 49ers are likely to place McCaffrey on the Injured Reserve list tomorrow, Saturday September 14th. The full quote from Shanahn can be read here, posted by the 49ers on NBC on X.
Implications for the San Francisco 49ers
So, if McCaffrey is placed on Injured Reserve on Saturday, what does this mean for the 49ers? Well, it is important to look at the next four games for San Francisco. This would be the minimum amount of time that McCaffrey misses while on IR. He has already missed the game against the New York Jets, which does not effect this time slot, but does demonstrate the team can move down field without the star running back.
Next Couple of Games
The first game that McCaffrey will miss while on IR, if he is placed on the list Saturday, is against the Minnesota Vikings. This is a game that the 49ers have been preparing for. Running back Jordan Mason was already the expected starter.
Next, the 49ers will head to Los Angeles to face the Los Angeles Rams. This is an important NFC West game. Though the Rams are injured, they are still likely the top competitor for the 49ers in the division. This will be a big game, and not having McCaffrey will be tough.
Week four of the NFL season will be against the New England Patriots. This will be a home game for the 49ers. Heading into the season, it seemed like a true rebuild year for the Patriots. Then they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals. While the 49ers should win, New England should not be taken lightly.
On October 16th, week five of the NFL season, the 49ers will face another NFC West opponent, the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have their issues, but they had a big lead against the Buffalo Bills at one point. This is a young team that can play hard. It will be another important game for the 49ers.
Return Date?
This is when the team will begin looking at a return date for the 49ers. Following their game against the Cardinals, San Francisco will play a Thursday Night Football game against the Seatttle Seahawks. A short week game seems unlikely for an injured reserve player to return.
This means the true target return will be October 20th, against the Kansas City Chiefs. This game will be a big one, despite being an AFC opponent. It may be fitting for it to be his target date following the Super Bowl loss. If longer is needed the team will then face the Dallas Cowboys and then have their bye-week.
49ers Without McCaffrey
While not having McCaffrey is a tough loss, it is not the end of the world. Mason is a good running back. As much as McCaffrey is one of the top players in the league, the 49ers can still win games without him. When he returns, it will just open up the offense even more. One thing to remember is that the 49ers acquired McCaffrey during the 2022 season. They made the NFC Championship and even a Super Bowl before him. The team will be okay, but it is a tough loss.
The most important thing for now is for McCaffrey to heal up. This is an injury that went from week-to-week to day-to-day to now being an Injured Reserve consideration. This is a more serious injury than initially considered and a tough blow to the San Francisco 49ers.
