Christian McCaffrey to Miss At Least Four Games As 49ers Place Star on IR

Christian McCaffrey is landing on injured reserve.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that the San Francisco 49ers are placing their star running back on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the next four games.

The 49ers are set to play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3, the New England Patriots in Week 4 and the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5. McCaffrey will be eligible to return to the gridiron on Oct. 10 for the 49ers' Thursday Night Football matchup against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.

McCaffrey is dealing with a calf injury and Achilles tendonitis, which forced him to miss the 49ers' season-opening 32–19 win over the New York Jets on Monday. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Thursday was McCaffrey's "worst day" dealing with his injury, which led him to being placed on injured reserve.

The 49ers' rushing attack appears to be in good hands while McCaffrey rests, however. Third-year running back Jordan Mason tallied 147 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 carries against the Jets in his first career start. He certainly looks capable of handling the starting role moving forward.

McCaffrey landing on injured reserve Saturday is his first trip to IR since playing a combined 10 games in 2020 and '21 for the Carolina Panthers while dealing with ankle, shoulder, glute and hamstring injuries.