The San Francisco 49ers are still eagerly awaiting the return of Christian McCaffrey , but will be forced to answer a difficult question once the star halfback is back to full strength.
On Monday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that McCaffrey would not be activated from the injured reserve ahead of San Francisco’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ matchup against the Seattle Seahawks despite being eligible to do so. San Francisco placed the 28-year-old on IR on September 14 following a season-opening win over the New York Jets .
Speaking to reporters during a press conference last week, Shanahan publicly confirmed that McCaffrey has bilateral Achilles tendinitis, meaning that he has the condition in both of his legs.
“During the time, he’s had it in both,” Shanahan said. “I think it started in one. You get to overcompensate it, went to the other. But mainly, one of them has just been bothering him. But he’s had it in both.”
In relief of the injured McCaffrey, backup running back Jordan Mason has received the brunt of the work on the ground. The 25-year-old has made the most of his opportunity, amassing 536 rushing yards, 66 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the first five games of the season.
Against the Arizona Cardinals last weekend, Mason made history by rushing for the most yards through the first five games of a season in 49ers history. The former undrafted free agent beat out none other than McCaffrey, who recorded 510 yards on the ground last season.
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Asked what specific attributes allow Mason to stand out, Shanahan said: “How hard he runs, that he almost always gets more than it's blocked for. He usually goes to the right hole and hits his right, he runs violently and doesn't slow down and runs very similar to how he did in college. He's a very efficient, hard-running back.”
It remains to be seen when McCaffrey will be able to return this regular season. Whenever he does manage to step foot back on the field, the 49ers will be faced with a dilemma regarding how to deploy their backfield.
When playing at 100% health, McCaffrey has time and again proven to be one of, if not the best running back in the NFL. Last season, he propelled the 49ers to a Super Bowl berth with 1,459 yards on the ground, 564 yards through the air and 21 total touchdowns.
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Yet Mason has established himself as a viable starter in Shanahan’s offense and worthy of touches. On the heels of a breakout performance in Week 1 - during which he thrashed the Jets’ stout defense for 147 rushing yards and a touchdown - 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy commended him for never giving up.
"To see him over the last two years, just push the envelope more and more every year, he's earned it,” Purdy said. “He's the kind of guy that it was not given to him. ... I'm so happy for him and I know he is going to keep pushing."
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