San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan refuted an earlier ESPN report suggesting that star running back Christian McCaffrey might miss Week 2.
After the 49ers' 32-19 win over the Jets on Monday night, Shanahan responded to Adam Schefter's report with a quip, saying, “That person must've been God.” He clarified that the running back's status was a game-time decision on Monday.
On Sept. 9 at 4:51 p.m., ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on “Monday Night Countdown” just before kickoff that 49ers superstar running back Christian McCaffrey, inactive for the game against the New York Jets, might not only miss the Monday night matchup but could also be sidelined for Week 2.
Citing 49ers officials, Schefter reported, “Not only is Christian McCaffrey out tonight, but there’s a real chance he’s not going to play on Sunday either. They play on the road, in Minnesota, on turf, in a shorter week. So he’s inactive tonight, and it looks like there’s a real strong possibility McCaffrey will not play Sunday against the Vikings as well.”
Christian McCaffrey missing the 49ers season opener against the Jets
The 28-year old missed Monday night’s season opener against the Jets due to a calf and Achilles injury. The team announced his status 90 minutes before kickoff, with Bay Area News Group’s Cam Inman being the first to report it.
McCaffrey missed the entire preseason due to a calf injury. When the 49ers held their first practice before Week 1 on Thursday, they updated his injury status to include an Achilles issue.
The 49ers star running back took part in all three practices this week as a limited participant and appeared as questionable on the official injury report Saturday. Despite this, the 49ers stayed hopeful about his availability. General manager John Lynch told KNBR’s “Murph & Markus” morning show that he anticipated McCaffrey would play.
“Christian’s looking really good. Obviously, we want to see him progress through the week, but we had confidence that Christian would be ready, and he’s doing very well. He takes tremendous care of his body and takes so much pride in that. He’ll be out there and ready to roll,” Lynch said in the morning show.
The 49ers face a quick turnaround as they prepare for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. The question now is whether McCaffrey will be ready to return or if Jordan Mason will continue to take on the running back duties.
Jordan Mason stepping up for Christian McCaffrey
With McCaffrey out, Jordan Mason stepped up, rushing 28 times for 147 yards and a touchdown. Mason told ESPN's Lisa Salters after the game that he knew he would be starting as early as Friday night.
Mason showed up in a big way, with McCaffrey sidelined due to a calf injury and Eli Mitchell on injured reserve. Against one of the NFL’s strongest defenses, the undrafted free agent had a standout performance in his first NFL start.
Jordan Mason didn’t carry the team on his own. Deebo Samuel Sr. also played a significant role in the backfield and scored a touchdown. George Kittle made impactful plays, and Brock Purdy, who initially struggled, warmed up and threw a 34-yard pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. This play set up Mason’s touchdown early in the third quarter and helped seal the victory over the Jets.
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