The San Francisco 49ers are not in a good place right now, and that includes the status of Christian McCaffrey.
The All-Pro running back was placed in injured reserve Monday after spraining his PCL in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. The loss was a low point for the 5-7 Niners, who have been beset by injuries in a season that began with clear Super Bowl aspirations.
McCaffrey was initially said to be out at least six weeks with five weeks left in the season. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan provided some reason for hope Wednesday when asked if McCaffrey could conceivably return during the playoffs, saying “Yeah, I believe so.”
The player himself, however, seemed a little less optimistic on Instagram hours later. McCaffrey didn’t specifically say he was out for the season, but the past tense “This wasnt my year” and his pledge to “work smarter and harder than ever to come back better from this” certainly make it sound like he’s accepted he’s not playing again this season.
McCaffrey’s full caption:
If this is really it for McCaffrey, 2024 will be nothing more than a lost season for one of the best running backs in football. The 28-year-old was a late scratch before Week 1 with a calf and Achilles injury and didn’t make his debut until Week 10.
McCaffrey ended up playing only four games, with progressively fewer yards from scrimmage in each one. Backup running back Jordan Mason also set to go on IR with a high ankle sprain did an admirable job of filling in, but McCaffrey’s absence was still noticeable for an offense dependent on high-octane players in skill positions.
Assuming he’s done, McCaffrey will be back next year, having signed a two-year, $38 million extension before the season that takes him through 2027.