MINNEAPOLIS — The San Francisco 49ers are certain to be without running back Christian McCaffrey for at least the next three games. And while it could be longer before McCaffrey recovers from his Achilles tendonitis, coach Kyle Shanahan said Sunday that it's too early to make that decision.
“Nobody knows,” Shanahan said. “We're dealing with tendinitis, so nobody knows. He doesn't know. We don't know and [we will] “take it day by day.”
While backup running back Jordan Mason continued to produce on Sunday, the Niners certainly could have used McCaffrey in a 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Despite racking up 399 yards of offense, the Niners were held to 17 points as they went a combined 3-of-13 on third and fourth down, allowed six sacks and went 2-of-4 in the red zone.
The Niners placed McCaffrey on injured reserve Saturday afternoon as he continues to deal with calf and Achilles issues. McCaffrey's primary issue is Achilles tendinitis, which has been difficult to predict on a day-to-day basis. Asked Sunday if McCaffrey would need surgery, Shanahan said “not that I've been told.”
On Thursday, McCaffrey had what Shanahan called his “worst” day in terms of dealing with tendinitis while practicing on a limited basis. That flare kept McCaffrey out of Friday’s practice entirely and ultimately led to the decision to send him to injured reserve.
The earliest McCaffrey could return would be the Oct. 10 game against the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle, though that's a Thursday night, which would mean a short week and an artificial playing surface in his first game back.
According to Shanahan, the decision to put McCaffrey on injured reserve was made, at least in part, as a way to force everyone to slow down and not try to rush him back. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year has been steadfast in his decision to play, stating in each of the past two weeks that he would be ready to play despite outside doubts.
“If we put him on the injured list, it'll be at least four weeks,” Shanahan said. “It'll give him time to rest and protect himself. From us, too. It doesn't matter how he feels.”
Without McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell (who is out for the year with a hamstring injury), Mason made his second career start on Sunday. He again performed well, rushing 20 times for 100 yards with one touchdown, becoming the first player since Aaron Jones in 2017 to rush for 100-plus yards in each of his first two career starts.
“[He] “He's just doing what he's been doing since he got here,” Shanahan said of Mason. “We've had two guys get hurt already, so I think it's pretty obvious that he knows he's going to be the starter when that happens.”
But Mason isn’t the threat McCaffrey represents when it comes to running routes and catching passes. In 2023, McCaffrey was third in receptions (67), second in receiving yards (564) and first in touchdown receptions (seven) among all running backs. In his two starts this season, Mason has two catches for 9 yards.
McCaffrey's versatility, especially in combination with wide receiver Deebo Samuel, opens up a dimension to San Francisco's offense that few teams can match.
“Christian is the offensive MVP for a reason,” tight end George Kittle said. “He has an incredible impact on this team. His presence alone boosts everyone's confidence. I still think we had opportunities today to find a way to win and we didn't. But yeah, there are things we can't do without Christian.”
Shanahan initially announced McCaffrey's injury on Aug. 6. At the time, Shanahan said McCaffrey was expected to miss a couple of weeks, not play in any preseason games and then be ready for the season opener against the New York Jets.
That plan appeared to be paying off, as McCaffrey was seen running on the sideline a few weeks after the injury and returned to practice the week before the Sept. 9 win against the Jets.
But McCaffrey was surprisingly ruled out of that game despite his insistence a few days before that he would play. On Wednesday, McCaffrey explained that he mentally tells himself every week that he is going to play as a form of self-motivation.
McCaffrey did not fare well in practice on Thursday and by Friday afternoon, Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were openly discussing the possibility of placing him on injured reserve.
Sunday's loss to the Vikings counts toward the four games McCaffrey must miss while on injured reserve. He'll also be out for good next week against the Los Angeles Rams, Sept. 29 against the New England Patriots and Oct. 6 against the Arizona Cardinals.
