Christian McCaffrey set to achieve an unwanted first in 49ers career after stunning late twist

Christian McCaffrey had expressed a lot of confidence he would be ready to play in the San Francisco 49ers' season opener with the New York Jets despite being limited in practice all week.

As it turns out, McCaffrey will not feature in the finale to Week 1 of the new season.

The reigning Offensive Player of the Year was listed among the inactives for the 49ers in a dramatic turn of events.

McCaffrey was listed as dealing with a calf/Achilles issue on the week's practice reports having missed the entirety of preseason.

Per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo , McCaffrey did not feel right after testing the calf out earlier on Monday and elected to err on the side of caution.

It removes the focal point of the 49er offense against a vaunted Jets defense. Not only is McCaffrey the bellcow of the San Francisco run game, he also has an outsized impact on the passing game with what he can do as a receiver both out of the backfield and lined up in the formation.

McCaffrey had not missed a meaningful game through injury since joining the 49ers in a 2022 trade with the Carolina Panthers. He rested in the meaningless Week 18 game with the Los Angeles Rams last year after sustaining an injury against the Washington Commanders a week prior.

His absence means Jordan Mason, who enjoyed an impressive camp and preseason, will likely get the lion's share of the carries, with Patrick Taylor Jr. and rookie Isaac Guerendo the other backups on the depth chart.

As expected, All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga (knee) also misses out . Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) and linebacker Dee Winters (ankle) had already been ruled out.

Related: What to watch for when the 49ers host the Jets in their primetime opener to the 2024 season