Christian McCaffrey has reportedly been placed on the injured list and will miss at least four games

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has officially been placed on the injured list, according to multiple reports. McCaffrey will now miss at least the next four games as he recovers from Achilles tendonitis and a calf strain.

McCaffrey was a late scratch in Monday’s season opener, with the 49ers announcing he would be inactive just hours before kickoff. The 49ers easily defeated the New York Jets despite missing the three-time Pro Bowl running back.

On Friday, McCaffrey was ruled out of San Francisco’s Week 2 game against the Minnesota Vikings due to the injury. In a press conference the same day, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that they were considering placing him on the injured list, adding that McCaffrey was in significant pain during practice on Thursday.

“It happens every now and then, but yesterday was the most painful day. That’s something we’ll talk about over the next 24 hours,” Shanahan said.

It’s a tough blow for the 49ers to lose McCaffrey, who has been a key cog in San Francisco’s offense since joining the team in 2022. The 28-year-old running back is the reigning AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 2,023 yards from scrimmage, including 1,459 rushing, and 21 total touchdowns.

By being placed on IR, McCaffrey would be unable to return until Week 6 against the Seahawks at the earliest. The 49ers will give him time to recover before re-evaluating him in mid-October.

Jordan Mason will now be San Francisco’s starting running back.