NFL
How long is Christian McCaffrey out for and who is his back-up?
The San Francisco 49ers have added CMC to the injured reserve list, meaning that he cannot feature against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Despite positive noises ahead of the weekend, the San Francisco 49ers have added Christian McCaffrey to the injured reserve list.
The star running back was placed on the IR list on Sunday, ensuring that he cannot be selected for the next four games. The 49ers take on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in their Week 2 match.
Earlier in the week head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that he had “never considered” placing McCaffrey on the IR list in response to his calf/Achilles injury. However a setback in his recovery forced Shanahan to walk back from that remark on Friday.
“It’s something we are considering now,” Shanahan told reporters at the press conference on Friday. “Yesterday was his worst day. It’s on and off. Yesterday having the most pain is something we are going to be discussing in the next 24 hours.”
The absence of the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year will undoubtedly be a loss for the 49ers but he is far from the only talent in a talented pool of backs. In last week’s win over the New York Jets Jordan Mason started in McCaffrey’s place, rushing for 147 yards and scoring a touchdown.
When can Christian McCaffrey return for the 49ers?
Adding McCaffrey to the injured reserve list is a significant step for the 49ers and one that suggests that they are not expecting a swift recovery from the latest setback. NFL rules dictate that players are unavailable for four games after being added to the IR list.
After taking on the Vikings on Sunday, San Francisco face the Los Angeles Rams (September 22), New England Patriots (September 29) and the Arizona Cardinals (October 6). CMC is out for all of those games.
Assuming that his injury recovers in the proceeding four weeks, Christian McCaffrey should be able to make his return to the field on October 10, when the 49ers travel to the Seattle Seahawks. For now, McCaffrey is just the latest victim of the ‘Madden Curse’ after featuring on the front cover of the NFL video game for the new season.