More misery for 49ers as Christian McCaffrey gets ruled out of the season, Kyle Shanahan announces
Reigning OPOY Christian McCaffrey sustained a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury in his right knee during Sunday loss to the Bills.
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Christian McCaffrey tripped by Bills safety Taylor Rapp with 12:58 minutes left in the second quarter (Image via Open Source/X)
What seemed like a promising season for the San Francisco 49ers is slipping away. In a snow-filled clash, the Buffalo Bills held them to just 10 points—the second straight game they managed only 10.
Amid the troubling season, the bad news has struck the Western Coast team once again. Christian McCaffrey, last year’s OPOY is injured once again and ruled out of the season. After a bilateral Achilles tendinitis kept him away from most of the season – McCaffrey had only returned in Week 10.
49ers running back Christian McCaffrey sustained what appears to be a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury in his right knee during Sunday night’s game. The Niners’ head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the injury could be season-ending in the post-game conference.
It could be season-ending. A PCL injury typically takes a few weeks, but we’re not entirely sure yet.
Kyle Shanahan said
McCaffrey is set to undergo additional tests on Monday to determine the severity of his injury and assess his availability for San Francisco’s remaining five games. The origins of the injury can be traced to when there were 12:58 minutes left in the second quarter.
Kyle Shanahan provides the latest on Christian McCaffrey's injury in the 49ers loss to the Bills: pic.twitter.com/Jyd9d2qUBK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 2, 2024
The RB broke through the middle for an 18-yard gain but was tripped by Bills safety Taylor Rapp, causing him to land awkwardly on his right knee. McCaffrey briefly left the field but returned a few plays later for the run to the right that ultimately ended his night.
With 11:23 left in the second quarter, while taking a pitch to the right, McCaffrey planted his feet to turn upfield but slid down without contact, resulting in a 5-yard loss. He immediately limped to the blue medical tent and, after a brief evaluation, was taken to the locker room for further assessment. Initially listed as questionable to return, McCaffrey was officially ruled out at halftime.
49ers are frustrated by missing Christian McCaffrey just as he regains form
The explosive running back had an explosive run last year, marching into the Super Bowl before being defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs. After being away from the field for long, McCaffrey was slowly building his form back through careful and rigorous training.
In the first quarter against the Bills, McCaffrey appeared to be on track for a standout performance following his return from the Achilles injury. Before his injury, McCaffrey had recorded seven carries for 53 yards and two receptions for 14 yards, highlighted by season-best runs of 19 and 18 yards.
The team’s quarterback, Brock Purdy, in his post-game interview, expressed that McCaffrey was beginning to look dangerous. He added that his injury was a major blow to their hopes.
We all saw what he was doing, and he was on fire. He looked great. Hitting the holes hard and bouncing off guys and making some real explosive plays, and that’s huge. … He’s one of the best running backs in the league and you lose him like that. I think it takes away just sort of how we do some things within the offense. It sucks.
Brock Purdy said
The Niners are already reeling from missing key players like Nick Bosa, and Trent Williams as they cling on to mathematical probabilities of making the playoffs. With a few important games lined up in the upcoming weeks, the pressure is daunting on the 5-7 team.
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Mohammed Bazim
(364 Articles Published)