MINNEAPOLIS — The San Francisco 49ers are inserting star working again Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve with calf soreness and Achilles tendinitis, sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday.
McCaffrey should miss no less than the following 4 video games — together with Sunday’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings — and is eligible to return for an Oct. 10 assembly with the Seattle Seahawks on “Thursday Evening Soccer,” although that is not a assure.
On Friday, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged for the primary time since initially saying McCaffrey’s harm on Aug. 6 that injured reserve was an actual risk. That got here after McCaffrey’s Achilles didn’t reply nicely to restricted participation in observe Thursday.
“Yesterday was his worst day,” Shanahan mentioned. “It is on and off, however with yesterday having essentially the most ache. It is one thing we will be discussing collectively within the subsequent 24 hours.”
These discussions in the end led to Saturday’s choice to close McCaffrey down in hopes that the continued flare-ups within the Achilles will quiet down. Shanahan has mentioned the toughest a part of McCaffrey’s harm has been its unpredictability, with the working again feeling good and practising some days after which feeling ache on others.
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Touchdown on injured reserve is undoubtedly a disappointment for McCaffrey, the NFL’s reigning Offensive Participant of the 12 months. As just lately as Wednesday, he mentioned he deliberate to play in opposition to the Vikings, explaining that his mindset each week is that he’s going to be able to go even when he’s coping with an harm.
“I hate not enjoying,” McCaffrey mentioned Wednesday. “However I take a look at it as a chess transfer and one thing that hopefully you possibly can profit from the remainder of the season.”
This IR stint is McCaffrey’s first since becoming a member of the 49ers through commerce in October 2022. Together with the postseason, McCaffrey had missed solely one in all 33 potential video games over the earlier two seasons, with the lone miss being a meaningless Week 18 sport in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams during which McCaffrey was coping with a calf harm however each groups had been resting starters anyway.
Earlier than arriving in San Francisco, McCaffrey had struggled with accidents as a member of the Carolina Panthers. In 2020 and 2021, McCaffrey performed in a mixed 10 video games, lacking video games due to a excessive proper ankle sprain, an AC joint sprain in his shoulder, a strained glute and hamstring, and a left ankle sprain.
With McCaffrey out, Jordan Mason will deal with the first working again duties after making the primary begin of his profession final week in opposition to the New York Jets. Mason completed with 28 carries for 147 yards, each profession highs, and scored a landing. It was essentially the most carries in a regular-season sport by a Niners participant since Shanahan took over in 2017 and essentially the most in a 49ers season opener in franchise historical past.
In opposition to the Jets, the Niners used vast receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. as Mason’s fundamental backup. He had eight carries for 23 yards and a landing. Different working again choices for the 49ers embrace rookie Isaac Guerendo and fourth-year veteran Patrick Taylor Jr. on the energetic roster and fifth-year veteran Ke’Shawn Vaughn on the observe squad.