The San Francisco 49ers have revealed the injury timeline for running back Christian McCaffrey, and the news is decidedly mixed.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Monday that McCaffrey suffered a PCL injury in Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. McCaffrey will be placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss at least six weeks. However, the running back will not need surgery.
#49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (knee) is going on IR with a PCL injury.
He will be out "at least 6 weeks" per, Kyle Shanahan.
— Clayton Holloway (@HollowayNFLN) December 2, 2024
A six-week injury should end McCaffrey’s season. On that timeline, there would at least be some possibility that the running back could return if the 49ers were to make the playoffs and win a game or two, but even that appears unlikely. Sunday’s loss dropped the Niners to 5-7 on the season, and while they are still in the frame in the NFC West, they are going to have to start winning a lot of games.
For McCaffrey, this effectively caps off a lost season. He wound up playing in just four games, tallying 348 yards from scrimmage, and not scoring a single touchdown. That is a far cry from his 2023 campaign, which saw him win Offensive Player of the Year honors. He was plagued by an Achilles injury that cost him the first eight games of the season as well, and even when he did play, he simply did not look like himself. He and the 49ers will hope a full offseason will allow the 28-year-old to get healthy once again.
