San Francisco’s star running back will not be active in the duel against the Los Angeles Rams due to a calf injury
SANTA CLARA — After clinching the NFC’s No. 1 seed and getting a bye week in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers are still working on how they’ll use their starters in the final game of the playoffs. regular season. However, one key player has already been ruled out.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated Monday that star running back Christian McCaffrey is dealing with a “slight” sprain in his right calf and will not play in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams.
The good news for Christian McCaffrey and the Niners is that the injury is not believed to be serious and Christian McCaffrey will be ready in time to prepare for the team’s first playoff game.
Christian McCaffrey will have two weeks to recover from a calf injury. Greg Fiume/Getty Images
“We’re very confident in that,” Shanahan said. “It was good news. It could have been a lot worse. We’re glad he’ll be taken care of this week and we hope he starts training during our off week.”
Because the Niners have already clinched the No. 1 seed, they essentially have an extra week to rest players who need time to recover. They won’t play a major game until the Divisional Round, which is scheduled for January 20-21.
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Christian McCaffrey injured his calf early in the third quarter of Sunday’s win over the Washington Commanders. He had 91 yards from scrimmage before coming out, but he said after the game that he didn’t believe the injury was serious, a suspicion he confirmed Monday.
“I think it was minor and it was just a smart decision, especially not knowing what was going to happen next week,” Christian McCaffrey said. “I didn’t want to just come in and make it worse. With certain things, you can’t be stupid.”
With Christian McCaffrey out, the Niners turned to Elijah Mitchell to carry the load. He finished with 80 yards on 17 carries with one touchdown. The 49ers also have Jordan Mason and practice squad running back Tyrion Davis-Price to take over for Christian McCaffrey.
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Christian McCaffrey isn’t the only Niners player dealing with an injury. Cornerback Ambry Thomas played with a broken hand against Washington and will undergo surgery Tuesday. Shanahan said the injury will likely keep Thomas out against the Rams, but that he, too, should be ready to return for the postseason.
Defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who hasn’t played since the Dec. 3 win over the Philadelphia Eagles due to a foot injury, also won’t play Sunday in hopes he can be ready for the postseason. Safety Ji’Ayir Brown (knee) is day to day as he continues to rehab, while wide receiver Jauan Jennings and offensive lineman Jaylon Moore remain in the concussion protocol.
Shanahan said he hasn’t decided yet on other key veterans who might need some extra rest in the regular-season finale. Shanahan indicated that those decisions — including quarterback Brock Purdy — will be made on a case-by-case basis as the week progresses.
“It’s really a difficult thing to do and it’s not always the best thing to do,” Shanahan said. “We’ll take everything into account. It’s something we’ll still do during this day and tomorrow.”
Shanahan added that decisions about resting starters are not just about giving them free play, but also how much they will practice during the week and the effect that can create when players who do play end up having to do more than usual. and therefore become more susceptible to injury.
“When you give guys a free game, practices change too and that can end up hurting guys a lot, just developing bad habits, and I’ve seen it cost teams a lot,” Shanahan said. “You give players rest and sometimes it causes more players to get injured. So you have to balance all those things, so there is no clear decision on anything. You have to look at each individual, each situation and figure it out as the situation progresses. week”.
2024-01-02 01:27:00
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