The San Francisco 49ers are bracing for the possibility of being without their star running back, Christian McCaffrey, for the second straight week.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that McCaffrey, who missed the season opener against the New York Jets, is questionable for a Week 2 clash against the Minnesota Vikings.
According to Shanahan, McCaffrey is dealing with Achilles tendinitis at the moment. This type of injury, basically soreness of the Achilles tendon, can take weeks to heal, and premature activity can result in setbacks.
“The Achilles is tendonitis, and that stuff comes and goes,” Shanahan said. “And when it is acting up, it’s something you’ve got to be very careful about.”
However, Shanahan added that McCaffrey would end up playing if it was a playoff game instead of a season opener.
McCaffrey won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award last season after putting an impressive campaign that saw him rush for a career-high 1,459 yards while adding 14 touchdowns. He also made 67 catches for 564 and seven TDs, leading the league in touches (339), yards (2,023) and touchdowns (21) from scrimmage.
Luckily for the 49ers, they didn’t feel McCaffrey’s absence against the Jets too much. Third-year back Jordan Mason stepped in as a starter and rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown in a 32-19 win.
