San Francisco’s season opener, while a victory, was overshadowed by controversy.
The San Francisco 49ers secured a 32-19 win over the New York Jets on Monday night, starting their season on a high note. However, the game stirred up significant controversy regarding the handling of star running back Christian McCaffrey’s injury status.
Just hours before kickoff in Santa Clara, California, the 49ers ruled McCaffrey out of the game, despite no prior indication that he wouldn’t play. In his absence, backup running back Jordan Mason stepped up, rushing for 147 yards. The situation took a strange turn when Mason revealed that he had known he would be starting days before the official announcement, raising questions about whether the 49ers had misled the public and the league about McCaffrey’s condition.
This prompted an NFL investigation into whether San Francisco violated the league’s injury reporting rules. The investigation concluded on Friday, and the 49ers were cleared of any wrongdoing.
“We have looked into the 49ers’ reporting of the playing status of Christian McCaffrey for the team’s Monday night game against the New York Jets,” the NFL said in a statement released through NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “We have found no evidence of a violation of the league’s injury report policy in this matter.”
Per the NFL: “We have looked into the 49ers’ reporting of the playing status of Christian McCaffrey for the team’s Monday night game against the New York Jets. We have found no evidence of a violation of the league’s Injury Report Policy in this matter.”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 13, 2024
McCaffrey has been dealing with calf and Achilles injuries since training camp, and his absence has become a concern for the team. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged on Friday that the team was considering placing McCaffrey on injured reserve, which would sideline him for several weeks.
The 49ers are scheduled to face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, and McCaffrey’s status remains uncertain. The situation has raised further questions about San Francisco’s depth at the running back position and how they plan to manage McCaffrey’s workload moving forward. The controversy around the handling of his injury only adds to the challenges the 49ers face as they navigate the early stages of the season.
