San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey sent NFL fans into a frenzy after being ruled inactive just 90 minutes before Week 1's Monday Night Football against the New York Jets.
After the game, teammate George Kittle may have dropped a hint about McCaffrey's potential return date.
McCaffrey, who's been dealing with a lingering calf/Achilles injury throughout training camp, was initially expected to play in Week 1 despite being limited in all four practices heading to the game.
On Friday, September 6, he told reporters he was still aiming to get his usual workload in Monday's game. Even 49ers general manager John Lynch reassured everyone that McCaffrey would "be out there and ready to roll."
But just before kickoff, ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news that the 49ers decided to play it safe, sitting McCaffrey for the game. Schefter then added, "There's a strong possibility McCaffrey might not suit up next week against the Vikings either."
Despite the absence of their 2024 Offensive Player of the Year, backup Jordan Mason stepped up in a big way, rushing for 147 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. The 49ers went on to spoil Aaron Rodgers' return, winning 32-19.
In a postgame interview with ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt, 49ers tight end and McCaffrey's teammate, George Kittle, shared a major update on McCaffrey's Week 2 status against Minnesota.
"I think our offense has hit the ground running, and you're going to see a lot of good offense from us, and when Christian's back next week, you're gonna see some of those fun plays," Kittle said. "You're gonna see the offensive MVP go out there and be a really good football player again."
Christian McCaffrey has been a top NFL running back in his eight-year career. He's one of the few ball carriers who has truly dominated both the run and passing games.
On the ground, he's accumulated for 6,185 yards and 52 touchdowns on 1297 carries. In the air, he's caught 509 balls for 4,320 yards and 29 touchdowns.
