49ers’ Christian McCaffrey goes on injured reserve with calf/Achilles issue

MINNEAPOLIS — The 49ers gained with out Christian McCaffrey of their season opener and now should attempt repeating that trick for not less than the subsequent month.

McCaffrey, the NFL’s reigning speeding champion and AP Offensive Participant of the 12 months, can be positioned Saturday on injured reserve and miss at minimal the subsequent 4 video games to deal with a calf damage and Achilles tendinitis.

The 49ers didn’t fill his spot on the 53-man roster, they usually solely known as up security Tracy Walker III as a normal practice-squad elevation for Sunday.

Subsequent up is Sunday’s go to to the Minnesota Vikings, the place Jordan Mason will make his encore in McCaffrey’s place. Mason ran for 147 yards and one landing in Monday evening’s first profession begin to spotlight a 32-19 win over the New York Jets.

The 49ers known as on Deebo Samuel for eight carries in that opener. With Samuel’s profession common of 6 yards per carry, the 49ers determine to make use of his extensive runs to enhance Mason’s energy and improved imaginative and prescient.

Rookie Isaac Guerendo and fourth-year veteran Patrick Taylor Jr. are the opposite operating backs on the roster, with Ke’Shawn Vaughn on the follow squad. Elijah Mitchell, McCaffrey’s backup the earlier two seasons, was dominated out earlier than this season began due to a hamstring damage.

Earlier than flying Friday to Minnesota, the 49ers dominated out McCaffrey for Sunday’s sport.

“He’s coping with this Achilles tendinitis, which will be a type of offers the place it’s feeling good someday and the subsequent day it flares,” basic supervisor John Lynch stated Friday morning on KNBR 680-AM. “It’s been very irritating for Christian and irritating for us solely as a result of he’s such an important participant.

“Major in our thoughts is the lengthy view,” Lynch added. “Christian is such an elite participant. He modifies us, makes us totally different. Additionally, it’s good to see we are able to operate with out him. We will operate at a very excessive degree.”

McCaffrey was a game-time scratch for the opener, and since he was listed two days earlier as questionable, the NFL stated Friday it discovered no proof of the 49ers’ violating its damage report coverage.

Journeys to injured reserve scuttled McCaffrey’s 2020 and ’21 seasons with the Carolina Panthers, who dealt him halfway by the 2022 season to the 49ers.

Two video games into 2020, McCaffrey went on IR due to an ankle damage, then shoulder and thigh accidents have been cited for him sitting out the seven video games of that 5-11 season. In 2021, a hamstring damage sidelined him after three video games and led to an IR stint (after two video games being inactive), then he completed the ultimate 5 video games that 5-12 season on IR with one other ankle damage.

The 28-year-old former Stanford star has suited up for each 49ers sport since his commerce apart from Monday’s opener and this previous January’s regular-season finale, additionally due to a calf damage, which he stated Wednesday was unrelated to his present plight.

McCaffrey didn’t participate within the 49ers’ voluntary offseason program, then he acquired a two-year extension that assured $24 million upon reporting to June’s obligatory minicamp. He practiced roughly every week in coaching camp up till Aug. 4, then took 4 weeks off earlier than being restricted in group drills up till Thursday’s painful session sidelined him for Friday’s walk-through and deemed him out Sunday.