August 18, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan watches warm ups before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers‘ offense didn’t skip a beat in the Monday Night Football opener against the New York Jets with All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey sidelined, but Brock Purdy and Co. may need to weather a lengthier absence for McCaffrey than they expected.
Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Ahead of the 49ers’ Week 2 contest against the Minnesota Vikings, McCaffrey was officially listed as doubtful on the injury report as he continues to recover from an Achilles tendon and calf injury.
Following Monday night’s 32-19 blowout win over the New York Jets, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that if it had been a playoff game, McCaffrey likely would have been on the field.
“Definitely, I believe if it was a playoff game, he would’ve played,” Shanahan said, via the team’s official transcript. “But it’s not just the calf, it’s the Achilles and the Achilles is tendonitis and that stuff comes and goes. When it is acting up, it’s something you’ve got to be very careful about. Christian’s very diligent about that stuff. And if it was a playoff game, he made it very clear to me, he believed he could go. But when you hear that type of stuff and it’s not a playoff game and it’s Week 1, and especially when you’re dealing with the lower extremities like that it, it was a tough decision. But hearing all the words and stuff, in the long run it made it easy.”Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason (center left) reacts after a run against New York Jets safety Chuck Clark (on ground) during the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Given what the 49ers have at stake this season, with a roster capable of being a favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, Shanahan and the coaching staff can afford to be cautious with McCaffrey — and should be.
After all, former undrafted rookie free agent running back Jordan Mason proved that he can be an explosive component of San Francisco’s offense, rushing for 147 yards and a touchdown.
If McCaffrey cannot go in Week 2, Mason will get another opportunity to show he’s not only a worthy complement to McCaffrey but could be San Francisco’s ticket to keeping their star running back fresh for the biggest games that matter most later in the year.
Call Mayfield Sports Marketing at 262-366-8188 to schedule Green Bay Packers players or alumni for your corporate appearance or product promotion. Our booking agents will work on your behalf to get you the best price for your desired sports speaker.
Mayfield Sports Marketing has earned a reputation of being the one to call for booking top athletes to speak at events and trade shows. To learn more about Packers players or alumni appearance costs and booking fees, please call us today. www.MayfieldSports.com.
Matt Lombardo is a seasoned NFL reporter, with over 12 years of experience covering the league.
In addition to his work at Gridiron Heroics, Lombardo covers the NFL for Heavy.com, is an on air sports contributor for FOX29 Philadelphia, and writes an NFL Substack "Between The Hashmarks."
Lombardo is the former Senior NFL Insider of FanBuzz, and prior to taking that role was a national NFL reporter at FanSided where he hosted a weekly podcast "The Matt Lombardo Show."
A former beat reporter for NJ Advance Media (Parent company of NJ.com and the Newark Star Ledger), Lombardo covered the Philadelphia Eagles from 2011 through the 2017 season before moving to cover the New York Giants for the Star Ledger for two seasons from 2018 through 2020.
During his career to date, Lombardo has covered five Super Bowls, four NFL Drafts, multiple NFL Combines, and has had his work frequently featured in publications such as Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, and more.
In addition to his journalism work, Lombardo is a strong on air presence and is a former sports talk radio host on 97.5 FM The Fanatic, Philadelphia's first FM Sports Station and the radio home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers.