More details have emerged on the injury that has sidelined San Francisco 49ers superstar running back and reigning rushing champion Christian McCaffrey for the first four weeks of 2024 — with no clear timeline on a possible return.
Christian McCaffrey was placed on the injured reserve with a calf/Achilles injury after the team’s Week 1 win over the New York Jets. That meant “Run CMC” would have to miss at least four games, but he’s nowhere closer to a return.
Speaking on the “49ers Talk” podcast, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that McCaffrey is dealing with Achilles tendonitis in both legs. The injury can take weeks, and sometimes months, to recover from.
The good news for the 49ers is that Jordan Mason has embraced the expanded workload with Christian McCaffrey sidelined. Mason has 447 rushing yards and three touchdowns over his first four games, putting the 25-year-old on pace to easily surpass the 1,000-yard mark.
But there’s no replacing a do-it-all weapon and a former 1,000/1,000-yard player like the All-Pro running back. The 49ers offense has been nearly unstoppable since McCaffrey arrived in a 2022 blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers, and the 49ers can only hope that he’ll be ready and fresh for the postseason.
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Christian McCaffrey Will Prioritize Long-Term Health
McCaffrey has dealt with several long-term injuries before, playing in just 10 combined games over the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Run CMC isn’t going to rush his way back from a serious injury, no matter how badly he wants to play.
The 49ers have a fine short-term RB1 in Jordan Mason. The goal is for McCaffrey to recover and get back to 100 percent before he takes the field again. The 49ers can only hope that he’ll be ready by the time the postseason rolls around.
