49ers running back Christian McCaffrey headed to IR with an injured right knee

By JOSH DUBOW

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey will not need surgery on his injured right knee but he will miss the rest of the regular season.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that McCaffrey will be out at least six weeks after injuring his posterior cruciate ligament in a loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. McCaffrey will be placed on injured reserve for the second time this season after previously missing the first eight games with Achilles tendinitis.

The 49ers also lost McCaffrey’s backup to an injury with Jordan Mason also set to go on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain in the game against the Bills.

It has been a frustrating season for McCaffrey, who won the 2023 AP Offensive Player of the Year then signed a lucrative contract extension in the offseason.

McCaffrey injured his Achilles tendon early in training camp and missed the first eight games of the season. He rushed for just 149 yards on 43 carries in his first three games back as he struggled to get back to form.

He looked much better early Sunday night with seven carries for 53 yards, including a 19-yarder that was his longest of the season. He appeared to hurt his knee on an 18-yard run in the second quarter. He then went down immediately on his next carry on a sweep to the left on a snow-slicked field for a 5-yard loss.

San Francisco (5-7) sits alone in last place in the NFC West standings, two wins behind division-leading Seattle, and in jeopardy of missing the playoffs a year after losing to Kansas City in the Super Bowl.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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