Christian McCaffrey Injury: What 49ers' depth chart looks like with star RB on Injured Reserve
The San Francisco 49ers began their 2024 NFL season against the New York Jets with Christian McCaffrey being a late omission for the game. He is reportedly suffering from a calf or Achilles injury that he picked up at the beginning of training camp, which made him miss preseason as well. But after careful management and rest, the 49ers would have hoped that their star player would have become better.
Instead, it was revealed that he will be missing the next game as well and that he is currently in a worse spot than before concerning his injury. While it is not clear what aggravated the situation, it is becoming clear that this might be something that San Francisco has to deal with for a while.
There is, therefore, a significant chance that he could be placed on injured reserve if the outlook does not improve, which will rule him out at least until the next four games.
Since Christian McCaffrey is widely considered the best offensive player in the league right now, his departure is a huge blow to the 49ers. But in his absence, these are the players that can step up.
49ers depth chart behind Christian McCaffrey
#1. Jordan Mason
Jordan Mason had a huge chance to impress with McCaffrey injured against the Jets and took the opportunity, and the football, with both hands and proved himself to be a capable deputy. He finished with 28 times for 147 yards and a touchdown in his first career start. He can now establish himself in the coming games.
Fantasy football managers should consider drafting him because of his fine performance in the previous game and because he will be the starter going forward if McCaffrey remains on injured reserve. Any Kyle Shanahan team will be strong in offense, including giving their rushers scoring opportunities.
#2. Isaac Guerendo
Isaac Guerendo is a rookie who was picked in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He is next on the depth chart after Jordan Mason and will be expected to get more opportunities going forward in the season if Kyle Shanahan looks to divide the load in the offensive backfield.
However, he is not likely to feature right away in the upcoming game in Week 2 and is more of a future prospect. Consider him the same way Jordan Mason would have been looked at when Christian McCaffrey was fit.
#3. Patrick Taylor Jr.
Patrick Taylor Jr. is an NFL veteran and has been in the league since 2020. He was undrafted out of college and played until last year with the Green Bay Packers. A peripheral player, he was also with the New England Patriots practice squad last year. He is unlikely to feature much in the normal scheme of things.
While the above gives us the running back depth, we have to remember that Christian McCaffrey is not just a standard rusher. He contributes to the passing game as well with his receptions and gives an added dimension to the attack.
As fans saw in their Week 1 victory over the Jets, that load could be shared by some other players showing their versatility as well. Deebo Samuel is the obvious candidate and he lined on some jet sweeps to good effect. Kyle Juszczyk, the All-Pro full-back, will also be expected to play a critical role in different play calls.
Ultimately, when a player as good as Christian McCaffrey goes down, the coach is bound to make some changes and introduce some new plays. Luckily for Kyle Shanahan, he has fantastic options and depth in every position of his team that can allow him to do so.
Do you think the San Francisco 49ers will win again without Christian McCaffrey when they take on the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.