49ers RB McCaffrey's standing unsure vs. Vikings

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For the second consecutive week, San Francisco 49ers working again Christian McCaffrey‘s standing is unsure as he continues to take care of calf and Achilles accidents.

In his day after sport convention name, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned McCaffrey would as soon as once more be monitored on a day-to-day foundation this week because the 49ers put together to play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. In keeping with Shanahan, the Achilles is holding McCaffrey again greater than his calf.

“The Achilles is tendonitis and that stuff comes and goes,” Shanahan mentioned. “And when it’s performing up, it is one thing you have to be very cautious about.”

McCaffrey was a shock inactive in Monday evening’s opener towards the New York Jets after he and the Niners expressed optimism for a lot of the week that he can be able to play. Third-year veteran Jordan Mason changed McCaffrey because the starter and greater than held his personal, posting 147 speeding yards and a landing on 28 carries.

After the sport, Mason informed ESPN’s Lisa Salters in an on-field interview that he discovered “perhaps Friday evening” that he would get his first NFL begin. Shanahan mentioned no such resolution was made till Monday, when McCaffrey arrived at Levi’s Stadium together with his harm “bothering him slightly an excessive amount of the place he did not be ok with it.” Shanahan added that he did not inform Mason he was beginning till Monday and prompt that maybe working backs coach Bobby Turner or one other coach informed Mason he was beginning as a option to “pump him up” earlier within the week.

Fellow Niners similar to receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and fullback Kyle Juszczyk mentioned in addition they did not know for certain Mason would begin till Monday, however had loads of confidence he would succeed.

“It is no shock for me with the way in which he has been working in camp and the way arduous he runs,” Samuel mentioned. “He will break tackles. That is simply the usual of our staff. He got here out right here and had an incredible day.”

The calf and Achilles first started bothering McCaffrey round Aug. 6 when Shanahan mentioned he would miss “a few weeks” and sit out the preseason. The calf is an harm just like the one which McCaffrey had in a Week 17 win towards the Washington Commanders final yr. On the time, McCaffrey got here out of that sport, didn’t play in a meaningless Week 18 sport towards the Los Angeles Rams and had a bye week earlier than returning within the NFC divisional spherical towards the Green Bay Packers.

However even with the accidents being related, the conditions should not given how early it’s within the season.

“Christian’s very diligent about that stuff,” Shanahan mentioned. “And if it was a playoff sport, he made it very clear to me he believed he may go. However whenever you hear that sort of stuff and it isn’t a playoff sport and it is Week 1 and particularly whenever you’re coping with the decrease extremities like that, it was a troublesome resolution… In the long term, it made it straightforward.”

As for whether or not McCaffrey will play towards the Vikings, that call will doubtless once more be made a lot nearer to sport time. There’s one further issue for the Niners to think about, as their subsequent two opponents — the Vikings and Los Angeles Rams — play on synthetic surfaces.

“I am going to ask the participant how he is feeling,” Shanahan mentioned. “In the event that they really feel good they usually’re able to go, they’re able to go. If they are saying I really feel good on grass however not on turf, that is normally a manner of claiming that you do not actually really feel that good. We’ll see how he feels [Tuesday]. See the subsequent day. And we’ll see how he feels on Sunday.”

Elsewhere on the harm entrance, Shanahan mentioned security Talanoa Hufanga (proper knee) “has an opportunity” to return towards the Vikings. Hufanga has been working his manner again from a torn ACL suffered in November of final yr and was inactive towards the Jets. Like McCaffrey, receiver Jauan Jennings (ankle) and guard Aaron Banks (bruised calf) may even be day-to-day this week.