Christian McCaffrey was once again watching from the sidelines as the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season. And to make things worse, it doesn’t look like Kyle Shanahan will be counting on the star running back anytime soon.
Speaking to the media after the 23-17 loss at U.S. Bank Stadium, the 49ers head coach failed to provide a clear return date for McCaffrey. According to Shanahan, no one can tell when the RB will be back yet.
“Nobody knows,” Shanahan said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “We’re dealing with tendinitis, so there’s not one person [who] knows. He doesn’t know. We don’t know. We can take it day by day.“
McCaffrey has been in rehab since August due to calf strain and Achilles tendinitis, which ruled him out for the Monday Night Football showdown against the New York Jets in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. Last week, the Niners placed him on injured reserve.
“By putting him on IR, it’s at least four weeks, so that’ll give him some time to rest and kind of protect him from himself. Us too. No matter how he’s feeling, it’s four at the minimum,” Shanahan explained.
When will Christian McCaffrey be able to return for the 49ers?
McCaffrey’s presence on injured reserve means the running back will not be available to play until October 10, when the 49ers hit the road to play the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Sunday Night Football.
But while that’s his earliest possible return date, McCaffrey’s recovery could take even longer. It’s important to mention that Shanahan said there was no setback in the running back’s rehab, and that they haven’t talked about surgery yet.
Which 49ers games will Christian McCaffrey miss?
That said, it’s still too early to tell when McCaffrey will be able to be back on the gridiron with the 49ers. In the meantime, we know that the star running back will remain on the sidelines for the following games:
- 49ers at Rams – Sep. 22
- 49ers vs Patriots – Sep. 29
- 49ers vs Cardinals – Oct. 6
Shanahan, 49ers find great response during McCaffrey’s absence
Even though McCaffrey’s injury has definitely been a huge blow for Brock Purdy’s offense, his backup has done certainly well so far. In two games, Jordan Mason proved he can be a great alternative at running back.
The Georgia Tech product, who joined the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2022, shone on the national spotlight with 147 yards and a touchdown in 28 carries against the Jets before producing 100 yards and a touchdown in 20 carries against the Vikings. Needless to say, the Niners will need more of these performances from Mason while McCaffrey is out.