49ers' Christian McCaffrey is out for Week 2, a consideration on injured reserve

The San Francisco 49ers ruled out superstar Christian McCaffrey's return for the second straight week due to lingering calf and Achilles issues.

Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers are considering the injured reserve list for McCaffrey, who dealt with soreness after Thursday's practice. The 49ers play on the road against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

If McCaffrey lands on IR, he will miss at least four games.

“It's a deal where it can feel good one day and the next day it burns,” 49ers general manager John Lynch told radio station KNBR. “And so it's very disappointing for Christian, I know, and disappointing for us because he's such an elite player. But the primary for us is the long view.”

McCaffrey, the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year, led the league in rushing yards last season with a career-best 1,459 with 14 touchdowns. McCaffrey added 564 receiving yards and a career-high seven receiving touchdowns.

“We have to be really smart and realize it's a long year,” Lynch said. “And we need totally healthy Christians out there and we don't want to compromise on anything.”

It's new that the team is considering IR for McCaffrey. On Wednesday, Shanahan said returning the star, who has missed four games, is not a consideration.

The prospect of McCaffrey missing Sunday's game doesn't seem as ominous as it did before the New York Jets game because his backup, Jordan Mason, did so well against the Jets. Mason had the heaviest workload for a San Francisco running back in 11 years — 28 carries and sacks.

However, depth behind Mason remains a major question mark. DeBo Samuel had 10 carries against New York, a number that may be difficult to sustain over a 17-game season. The next true tailback in the pecking order is rookie Isaac Guerendo, a fourth-round pick.

Guerredo is followed by Patrick Taylor Jr. Gerendo played three offensive snaps against the Jets but neither he nor Taylor got a carry. – Matt Barrows, 49ers beat writer

How long can the 49ers play without McCaffrey?

The 49ers are by no means encouraging McCaffrey to return, especially after Mason's electrifying performance in the season opener. The team has a talent buffer it can use as McCaffrey continues to rehab. That being said, the fact that Shanahan said McCaffrey's “worst day” health-wise was Thursday is not a good sign.

That means McCaffrey has rebounded, and it's a trend San Francisco clearly wants to reverse. – David Lombardi, 49ers beat writer

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(Photo: Ryan Kong/Getty Images)