Kyle Shanahan has never been big on trying to predict the future.
The San Francisco 49ers head coach is the man who said he couldn't guarantee if anyone on Earth would be alive after the 2021 draft when asked if he could guarantee Jimmy Garoppolo's future beyond the point.
So it's no surprise that he had no desire to give a definitive answer to questions about Christian McCaffrey's availability for the 49ers' Week 2 clash with the Minnesota Vikings.
Reigning Offensive Player of the Year McCaffrey was a surprise inactive for the 49ers' season opener with the New York Jets. The star running back was listed as questionable on the final status report having been limited in practice all week.
The 49ers erred on the side of caution following discussions with McCaffrey, who was dissatisfied after testing out a calf/Achilles injury earlier on Monday.
McCaffrey's absence mattered not, however, as Jordan Mason enjoyed a career night in his absence, rumbling for 147 yards and a touchdown in a 32-19 stomping of the Jets.
Despite Mason thriving after being promoted to the lead role, many questions after the game focused on McCaffrey's status for the coming weeks, with Shanahan conceding there is a chance his injury could linger.
"Always," Shanahan replied when asked if the injury could drag on for several weeks.
"I mean, it's been lingering the last few weeks, but it’s getting better and better, and hopefully it'll be better next week."
The 49ers' next two games are on the road against the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams in stadiums that use turf rather than grass fields. Plenty has been made of the supposed added risk of injury from playing on turf compared to natural grass, but that won't factor into Shanahan's decision regarding when to bring McCaffrey back.
"I'll ask the player how he's feeling, if they feel good and they're ready to go, they're ready to go," he added.
"If they say, I feel good on grass, but not on turf, that's usually the way of saying that you don't really feel that good. So we'll see how he feels tomorrow. We'll see how he feels the next day, and see how he feels on Sunday."
Asked about a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter that there's a "strong possibility" McCaffrey will not play in Week 2, Shanahan replied: "That person must be God, because we just found out he wasn't playing today, and I have no idea how he's going to feel tomorrow or the next day.
"I thought he was playing this whole week until today, so I don't know who knows that he's not playing next week."
Every response was classic, non-committal stuff from Shanahan, who will likely continue to keep his cards close to his chest up until gameday when it comes to McCaffrey's status for Week 2. A lot of people won't like it, but the mystery around the 49ers' premier offensive talent will probably continue throughout the week.
Related: Kyle Shanahan and 49ers take it back to the old school to overcome Christian McCaffrey absence
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