One of the San Francisco 49ers’ best players is now surprisingly inactive ahead of Monday Night Football.
Star running back Christian McCaffrey has been ruled out ahead of San Francisco’s matchup with the New York Jets. Despite being limited in practice throughout the week, he was expected to play and receive a full workload, but reportedly did not feel right during warmups and will not play.
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A surprise: #49ers RB Christian McCaffrey is inactive tonight against the #Jets, sources tell me and @RapSheet. McCaffrey was listed as questionable after being limited in practice last week with calf/Achilles injuries. McCaffrey had expressed confidence he would play. pic.twitter.com/rLQMXVU3nR
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 9, 2024
McCaffrey’s absence is a giant development just an hour from kickoff. He is the engine of the 49ers offense, serving as one of the best all-around talents in the entire league. The running back always knows how to attack holes in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme and is an excellent receiver who takes advantage of the space that the scheme creates.
Without McCaffrey, the 49ers will turn to third-year running back Jordan Mason, who only has 83 carries, 464 rushing yards, and 4 rushing touchdowns in 33 career games. It’s in the passing game where the 49ers will miss McCaffrey the most; Mason only has 3 receptions in his career.
The 49ers must now rely heavily on Brock Purdy and the passing attack. This falls into the Jets’ lap, as they have one of the best pass defenses in football. They can force Purdy to beat them without worrying about an all-world talent in the backfield.
While the game will still be challenging, this certainly makes the matchup more manageable for New York. They are the healthier team and will have all of their key contributors ready to roll. Specifically, their offensive line and Aaron Rodgers are the healthiest they have been since last season.
Ultimately, it is now or never for the Jets to start fast. The red carpet has been rolled out, and they have the perfect opportunity to take advantage of San Francisco’s bumps and bruises. Now, they just have to execute and win the game.
