Kyle Shanahan reveals decision process for Christian McCaffrey’s Week 2 game availability

The San Francisco 49ers kicked off the 2024 NFL regular season with a strong home victory, defeating the New York Jets 32-19. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan now faces a critical decision regarding Christian McCaffrey for the upcoming Week 2 and Week 3 games, as McCaffrey was absent for the opener.

In the post-game press conference, a reporter asked Shanahan about the possibility of McCaffrey playing in Week 2, given that the game will be held at U.S. Bank Stadium, where the playing surface is artificial turf. This surface could potentially impact McCaffrey’s injury.

Kyle Shanahan responded that the decision will depend on how Christian McCaffrey feels. “Turf or grass, I’ll ask the player how he feels. If he says he feels good on grass but not on turf, that’s a way of indicating he doesn’t feel as well. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow, or the next day, or how he feels on Sunday.”

The coach emphasized that he doesn’t know how McCaffrey will feel in the coming days. He wasn’t even aware that McCaffrey would be unavailable for the opener, despite the running back participating in training sessions with the team. It’s important to note that not only will the Week 2 game be played on turf, but the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams will also be on the same surface.

Christian McCaffrey with the 49ers

Before the start of the 2024 season, McCaffrey signed a two-year contract extension with the franchise on June 4. He made his debut with San Francisco in 2022, playing 11 games and starting in 10 of them. However, his best year to date was in 2023, with 16 games started, 1,459 rushing yards, and 14 touchdowns.

In 2023, he was named AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, marking his best season in terms of total rushing yards and yards per attempt, with an average of 5.4 yards per carry. He fell just two touchdowns short of surpassing his personal best of 15 touchdowns in a single season, achieved in 2019.