San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a calf injury during his team’s win over the Washington Commanders this past Sunday, and head coach Kyle Shanahan made it seem like it’s a rather concerning issue.
The good news is that the 49ers have already clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC, so they won’t need McCaffrey’s services when they battle the Los Angeles Rams next weekend.
“I don’t know if we would have been able to go the next week or not, but we’ll have to find out more tomorrow,” Shanahan told reporters after the game, via San Francisco’s official YouTube account.
That quote from Shanahan is not exactly comforting, and we know that calf problems are no joke.
Fortunately, the Niners have already secured a first-round bye, so if the 49ers opt to rest McCaffrey in Week 18 (and they probably will), he will get two weeks off before having to suit up for the Divisional Round of the playoffs later this month. Hopefully, by then, McCaffrey is fully healed.
But regardless, this is obviously one of the last things San Francisco wanted to hear as it prepares to gear up for a potential Super Bowl run.
McCaffrey carried the ball 14 times for 64 yards while logging four catches for 27 yards in the Niners’ victory against the Commanders.
On the season overall, the superstar halfback leads the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards to go along with 14 rushing touchdowns. He is averaging a robust 5.4 yards per carry and has also hauled in 67 receptions for 564 yards and seven scores.
While no running back has won the MVP award since Adrian Peterson in 2012, there are some who feel that McCaffrey is deserving of the honor this year, or that he should at least be considered for it.
One thing is for sure: the 27-year-old will be making his third trip to the Pro Bowl this winter and will also probably earn his second First-Team All-Pro selection.
The 49ers acquired Christian McCaffrey in a midseason trade with the Carolina Panthers last year.
San Francisco is 12-4 on the season.
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