Achilles tendinitis robbed San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey of the first eight games of the 2024 NFL season.
A knee injury knocked the running back out of Sunday night’s Week 13 matchup with the Buffalo Bills, and now it might keep the Pro Bowler sidelined for the rest of the year.
Coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday that McCaffrey will be placed on injured reserve with a PCL injury that will sideline him at least six weeks.
McCaffrey then walked under his own power to the locker room for additional evaluation, leaving third-year backup Jordan Mason to take over the backfield.
McCaffrey came down hard on his right knee and departed for two plays.
The San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey missed the first eight games of the 2024 NFL season due to Achilles tendinitis. The Pro Bowler may be out for the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury that prevented him from playing in Sunday night’s Week 13 game against the Buffalo Bills.
Since McCaffrey has a PCL injury that will keep him out of action for at least six weeks, coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday that he will be placed on injured reserve. The 49ers, who are 5-9 and in last place in the NFC West, would need to make it to the playoffs in order for McCaffrey to possibly return to the field.
Against the Bills, McCaffrey barely made contact with the ball after taking a second-quarter pass from quarterback Brock Purdy before limping into the snow-covered Highmark Stadium, avoiding contact, and requesting emergency medical assistance. Despite his explosive early in the game—he gained 53 yards on just seven carries—he proceeded cautiously to the medical tent following the slide.
After that, third-year backup Jordan Mason took over in the backfield as McCaffrey walked independently to the locker room for further assessment.
It seemed that McCaffrey sustained the injury during his last 18-yard run, when Bills safety Taylor Rapp managed to trip him up around his right ankle. McCaffrey left for two plays after suffering a severe injury to his right knee.
