Niners placing Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) on injured reserve; RB to miss at least four games

McCaffrey sat out most of coaching camp and didn’t play within the preseason attributable to a calf pressure that head coach Kyle Shanahan introduced on Aug. 6.

The risk degree appeared low, although, as Shanahan stated a couple of weeks later he wasn’t involved with McCaffrey’s readiness whereas coping with the harm. Larger points appeared to be on the horizon, specifically left deal with Trent Williams holding out and extensive receiver Brandon Aiyuk holding in attributable to contract disputes.

However these standoffs each got here to an finish forward of Week 1, and Williams and Aiyuk suited up for the group’s 32-19 victory over the New York Jets on Monday Night time Soccer.

McCaffrey, surprisingly, didn’t, and now he will not for fairly a while.

Jordan Mason served as San Francisco’s RB1 in his stead, exploding for 152 yards and a rating on 29 touches. It was a stupendous prime-time efficiency that bodes effectively for the 49ers withstanding a stretch with out their most harmful weapon, however there’s nonetheless no changing every part the versatile McCaffrey, a two-time All-Professional and one of many most interesting pass-catching backs within the NFL, brings to the desk.

It will doubtless take Deebo Samuel contributing extra time within the backfield as he did on Monday to assist fill the receiving void there, plus a better sprinkling of backups Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor (three offensive snaps mixed in Week 1) to maintain Mason contemporary in his doubtlessly newfound workhorse function.

The 49ers play the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals over their subsequent 4 video games. If CMC spends the minimal period of time on IR, he may return for a Thursday evening showdown in opposition to the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 10.

San Francisco’s two video games scheduled between that contest and a Week 9 bye happen at house in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys.