49ers place McCaffrey on IR, will reportedly miss at least 6 weeks

The San Francisco 49ers placed star running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve due to Achilles tendinitis, the team announced Saturday.

McCaffrey will likely miss six weeks but could be out longer, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The 28-year-old was ruled out of the club's Week 2 contest against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday, and head coach Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey had his worst day in terms of pain on Thursday, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.

Shanahan told reporters earlier in the week that the team wasn't considering placing him on injured reserve.

The 49ers made McCaffrey a surprise inactive hours before their season opener against the New York Jets after he was listed as questionable. Jordan Mason stepped in as the lead back and had a tremendous game, racking up 147 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries.

"I hate not playing," McCaffrey said Wednesday, per Wagoner. "But I look at it as a chess move and something that hopefully you can benefit from the rest of the season."

McCaffrey has been reliable for the 49ers since being acquired from the Carolina Panthers in 2022. He's been available for all but one of the 33 possible contests, with his only inactive coming in a Week 18 contest last season where the team rested starters.

However, the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year struggled with injuries in Carolina, playing in 10 contests from 2020-21 due to various ailments.

San Francisco's offense rolled without McCaffrey in Week 1, racking up 401 total yards and 32 points.