The San Francisco 49ers received some brutal news on Sunday evening.
According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a potentially season-ending PCL injury in their 35–10 loss against the Buffalo Bills.
“It was frustrating,” Shanahan later told reporters of the 28-year-old’s injury. “He had a great week of practice and I could feel his urgency and stuff. Thought he came out great, looking real good. He looked like he just got his shoestring there, he was about to break a house call. I’m guessing he got hurt on that play, I don’t know I never got to talk to him, but hurt for him and tough for our team that that happened to him.”
McCaffrey gave himself up on a pitch play in the second quarter before immediately running to the sideline and then to the locker room. He remained out for the rest of the game.
According to Bills reporter Sal Capaccio, McCaffrey was seen after the game walking, “very slowly, using crutches, with a large brace on his right knee.” ESPN reports McCaffrey will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.
The 49ers were already without the star running back for the first eight games of the season while he recovered from bilateral Achilles tendinitis. It’s now looking like they won’t have him for the rest of the 2024 campaign.
McCaffrey signed a two-year, $38 million contract extension with San Francisco back in June, tying him to the franchise through the 2027 season. He’s due to make $16.2 million next year, in what will be his age-29 season.
