NFL determines 49ers did not violate Injury Report Policy

Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) warms up before playing against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

When the San Francisco 49ers listed running back Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles) as a surprise inactive ahead of their Week 1 game against the New York Jets, many questioned whether or not they had violated NFL rules.

After the game, Jordan Mason, who served as McCaffrey’s replacement, said he was made aware days earlier that he would get the start. At that time, McCaffrey had been listed as questionable on the injury report.

Following Mason’s comments, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan implied that no such conversation with Mason had taken place and denied any wrongdoing.

The entire saga prompted an NFL investigation which came to a conclusion on Friday. Ultimately, the league determined that the 49ers had not violated the Injury Report Policy.

“We have looked into the 49ers’ reporting of the playing status of Christian McCaffrey for the team’s Monday night game against the New York Jets. We have found no evidence of a violation of the league’s Injury Report Policy in this matter,” the NFL said in a statement, via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Had the league determined the 49ers violated the policy, both the organization and Shanahan would have likely been fined.

McCaffrey has already been ruled out for a Week 2 game against the Minnesota Vikings and the team is considering the possibility of placing him on injured reserve (IR).