It’s been a star-crossed season for Christian McCaffrey. A lingering Achilles injury cost him the first nine weeks of the season. Now, after just four games, he’s back on the shelf. Find out what happened to the San Francisco 49ers running back and why he’s out of the team’s Week 14 contest vs. the Chicago Bears.
Why Isn’t Christian McCaffrey Playing?
Early in training camp, McCaffrey strained his calf, sidelining him for the entire preseason (not that he was going to play, anyway). Ahead of Week 1, McCaffrey practiced in full but was ultimately held out due to Achilles tendinitis. As it turned out, that injury was far more serious than we realized, and McCaffrey wound up being sidelined until Week 10.
Upon his return, McCaffrey looked mostly like his former self, even if the gaudy numbers weren’t there. Unfortunately, he never got a chance to really get going, as he lasted a mere four games.
On a shoestring tackle against the Bills, McCaffrey hurt his knee. Pro Football Doc, Dr. David Chao, immediately identified it as a possible PCL sprain. After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Chao’s suspicions.
How Long Will Christian McCaffrey Be Out Due to Injury?
He has been placed on IR, which means the earliest he can return is Week 18.
However, McCaffrey’s expected timeline to return is roughly six weeks. There are only five weeks left in the regular season, and the 49ers are almost certainly not going to the playoffs. Even with a miraculous playoff run, San Francisco may need to pull a Wild Card upset to allow McCaffrey the chance to return in 2024.
The good news is that this injury won’t have any lingering effects on him for next year. The bigger concern is this is a player with a lengthy injury history who will be entering his age-29 season. But this particular issue will be well behind him by the time 2025 training camp rolls around.
Who is the 49ers’ Starting Running Back?
McCaffrey wasn’t the only casualty from the Week 13 loss. Backup Jordan Mason, who ranked fourth in rushing over the first nine weeks with CMC out, went down with an ankle injury. Like McCaffrey, Mason was placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 14, knocking him out the next four weeks.
The next man up is rookie Isaac Guerendo. The fourth-round pick out of Louisville is best known for his blazing 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which led all running backs. He also posted a 41.5-inch vertical jump, which again ranked first at his position.
The 6’0″, 220-pounder racked up 1,392 career rushing yards and 17 touchdowns for Louisville throughout his collegiate career.
This season, the 24-year-old has rushed 42 times for 246 yards and two touchdowns while also adding five catches and 19 receiving yards.
The other running backs on the roster are Patrick Taylor Jr. and Israel Abanikanda. Taylor is a 26-year-old veteran who came to San Francisco via free agency after spending his first three seasons with the Green Bay Packers. This season, he has only received seven carries for 25 yards, plus one reception for 12 yards.
The Niners claimed Abanikanda off waivers from the New York Jets the Tuesday before Week 14. He was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round (No. 143 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. Over his first two NFL seasons, he appeared in six games and carried the ball 22 times for 70 yards to go along with seven receptions for 43 yards. This season, Abanikanda was inactive for every game before the Jets ultimately waived him.
