San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey couldn’t catch a break this season. After missing the first nine weeks of the 2024 NFL campaign due to Achilles tendinitis in both legs, McCaffrey suffered a season-ending injury in just his fourth game back. Let’s examine what happened to McCaffrey and who’s starting in his place.
Why Is Christian McCaffrey Out For the Year?
Early in training camp, the 49ers sat McCaffrey for the entire preseason with what was initially described as a calf strain. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan downplayed the injury, saying that the team was just being extremely cautious with their star running back. However, shortly before San Francisco’s Week 1 game against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, McCaffrey was a last-minute scratch.
The injury was far more serious than anyone realized, and he was placed on injured reserve several days later. McCaffrey flew to Germany to see an Achilles tendinitis specialist, and he wound up being sidelined until Week 10.
Upon his return, McCaffrey looked decent, but he didn’t post the gaudy numbers we’re used to seeing from him. Unfortunately, he never got a chance to really get going, as he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills.
After a shoestring tackle against the Bills, McCaffrey hurt his knee. After the game, Shanahan confirmed that CMC suffered a season-ending PCL injury.
How Long Will McCaffrey Be Out Due to Injury?
McCaffrey was 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, which is why this injury is being framed as a season-ending issue.
MORE: When Will McCaffrey Return?
The 49ers only have a 15.1% chance of making the playoffs, according to PFN’s Playoff Predictor, but if they can somehow sneak in and make a postseason run, perhaps McCaffrey could return.
The good news is that this injury shouldn’t have any lingering effects on him for next year. The bigger concern is that 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 training camp rolls around.
Who is the 49ers’ Starting Running Back?
McCaffrey wasn’t the only running back who suffered a significant injury in the Week 13 loss. Backup running back Jordan Mason, who ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing over the first nine weeks with McCaffrey out, also went down with an ankle injury. Like McCaffrey, Mason was placed on IR ahead of Week 14, knocking him out at least the next four weeks.
The next man up is rookie Isaac Guerendo. Guerendo was selected in the fourth round (No. 129 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft. The rookie entered the season as the fourth option on the 49ers’ depth chart, behind McCaffrey, Mason, and Elijah Mitchell (who is also on season-ending IR with a hamstring injury). While he’s dealing with a sprained foot, he’s playing through it against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
With the fantasy football playoffs starting tonight:
49ers rookie RB Isaac Guerendo plans to play Thursday night vs. the Rams despite his sprained foot that has left him being listed as questionable, per sources. Guerendo insists he “feels good.” pic.twitter.com/WClJ52lva3
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 12, 2024
Guerendo ran a blazing 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which led all running backs and helped his draft stock significantly. 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 throughout his collegiate career at Louisville and Wisconsin. Initially, he was a wide receiver, but he made the transition to running back.
This season, the 24-year-old has rushed 57 times for 324 yards and four touchdowns while adding seven catches for 69 yards.
The other running backs on the roster are Patrick Taylor Jr., Israel Abanikanda, and Ke’Shawn Vaughn. 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 14 carries for 50 yards and one touchdown, plus two catches for 12 yards.
The Niners claimed Abanikanda off waivers from the New York Jets on Dec. 3, so he’s still learning the playbook. 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.
As for Vaughn, he’s a practice squad player who was elevated for last week’s game against the Bears. The 27-year-old is a five-year veteran who played four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prior to joining the Niners. Throughout his career, he has appeared in 44 games, rushing 105 times for 388 yards and two touchdowns while adding 14 receptions for 81 yards and a score. He was on the Bucs’ 2020 team that won Super Bowl LV.