Christian McCaffrey out for 49ers’ game against Jets in Week 1 of NFL with calf and Achilles tendon injuries | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors
Focus on Sports/Getty Images
After Christian McCaffrey survived the 2023 season largely injury-free, he will miss the season-opening game on Monday night.
The San Francisco 49ers star was one of those who did not play in the showdown with the New York Jets:
Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network had previously reported that McCaffrey would not play due to calf and Achilles tendon injuries:
Mike Garafolo @MikeGarafolo
A surprise: #49ers RB Christian McCaffrey is inactive tonight against the #Jetssources tell me and @RapSheet. McCaffrey was listed as questionable after being limited in practice last week due to calf/Achilles injuries. McCaffrey had expressed confidence that he would play. pic.twitter.com/rLQMXVU3nR
McCaffrey struggled with injuries during the offseason and missed most of training camp and the entire preseason due to calf and Achilles tendon injuries.
While he has been spared any major injuries in 2023, he missed the Niners’ season finale due to a mild calf strain, but that was mostly a precautionary measure to ensure he was well rested heading into the postseason.
The last time McCaffrey suffered a serious injury was in 2021, when he missed five games due to a hamstring injury before missing the rest of the season due to an ankle sprain in Week 12. He has only been able to play in seven games this season.
In 2020, he only played three games due to various injuries.
Since arriving in San Francisco in 2022, McCaffrey has remained healthy and performed well. Last year, he had the best season of his career, recording 1,459 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, along with 564 receiving yards and seven touchdowns through the air.
In this MVP-worthy year, the 49ers reached the Super Bowl, where they lost in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs.
San Francisco was already understaffed in the running back room at the beginning of the year after Elijah Mitchell suffered a thigh injuryending his season before it even began. Mitchell was the 49ers’ second-leading runner last year, rushing for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
With McCaffrey injured, San Francisco could turn to third-year player Jordan Mason in the backfield. Mason had 206 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries in 2023.
