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The San Francisco 49ers have officially lost Christian McCaffrey for the foreseeable future.
As expected, the team has placed their star running back on the Injured Reserve, per Ian Rapoport:
“Sources: The #49ers are placing RB Christian McCaffrey on Injured Reserve today, with hopes that his Achilles tendinitis fully heals by the time it’s time to return in four games. It’s Jordan Mason going forward.”
CMC missed Week 1 after warming up prior to the game and feeling tightness in his Achilles. With a long season ahead, the 49ers are being cautious so they can have their Swiss Army knife healthy for a hopeful Super Bowl run. Jordan Mason shined in place of McCaffrey in the opener and will be the main man moving forward.
At first, a stint on the IR wasn't expected to be in the cards for McCaffrey, but things changed as his tendinitis worsened. It's a big loss for San Francisco considering his ridiculous production. In 2023, the former Stanford standout led the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He also reeled in 67 receptions for 564 yards and seven TDs. CMC was Brock Purdy's most important weapon.
Will 49ers get by without McCaffrey?
If the 49ers ended up trading Brandon Aiyuk rather than extending him, it could've been much harder to stay afloat without McCaffrey. But, Aiyuk is locked down and there are lots of other go-to targets for Purdy including Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Kyle Juszczyk, and Jauan Jennings, among others. Also, Mason stepped in and did a fantastic job last Monday.
The 25-year-old exploded for 147 rushing yards on 28 touches including a touchdown, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Sure, Mason may not play as huge of a part in the passing game as McCaffrey, but the ex-Georgia Tech star showed that he can be a productive figure in the backfield. With CMC sidelined for four games at the very least, he's going to have every opportunity to make his presence felt.
San Francisco will be looking to move to 2-0 when they face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
