49ers Considering Drastic Move With Injured Star RB Christian McCaffrey: Report

The San Francisco 49ers will be without Christian McCaffrey for the second consecutive week, though circumstances could ultimately prove much worse than even that. 

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Friday, September 13, that the star running back will not play against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis this weekend. 

"49ers ruled out RB Christian McCaffrey for Sunday's game vs. the Vikings due to his calf injury and Achilles tendonitis," Schefter wrote in an X post. 

However, the reporting of ESPN's Nick Wagoner went considerably further into the 49ers' internal discussions about placing McCaffrey on the injured reserve list (IR). Doing so would mean the running back misses at least the next four games.  

"It's something we're considering now," head coach Kyle Shanahan said, per Wagoner. "Yesterday was his worst day. It's on and off, but with yesterday having the most pain. It's something we're going to be discussing together in the next 24 hours."

McCaffrey practiced on Wednesday and Thursday in a limited fashion, per the Niners' injury report. However, he sat Friday and is now a scratch for the weekend's game. Wagoner noted that the exact same pattern emerged ahead of the team's Week 1 matchup with the New York Jets. 

As unfortunate as it is for his teammates and fans, McCaffrey's absence now -- and for potentially the next month or so -- is far less damaging than the RB suffering an Achilles' tear would be. 

McCaffrey, 28, just signed a two-year extension worth $38 million that keeps him under contract in the Bay Area through 2027. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro who led the NFL in rushing last season with 1,459 yards, adding 14 rushing TDs along the way. He also caught 67 passes for 564 receiving yards and 7 TDs. 

In the meantime, undrafted third-year RB Jordan Mason will step into the starting role. Mason carried the football 28 times for 147 yards and 1 TD against the Jets on Monday night and also caught 1 pass for 5 yards.