The defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers will be without one of their top players for Monday night's showdown against the New York Jets. Star running back Christian McCaffrey is inactive, according to the team, as he continues to deal with calf and Achilles issues.
McCaffrey was officially listed as questionable to play. He had expressed optimism that he would play, but the 49ers have decided to err on the side of caution.
With McCaffrey out, the bulk of the 49ers' carries will likely go to Jordan Mason, a third-year veteran who has an impressive career average of 5.6 yards-per-carry.
This is clearly a big loss for the 49ers, who already faced the tough task of facing a Jets defense that has been one of the NFL's top units over the past two years. The 28-year-old McCaffrey led the NFL with 1,459 yards on the ground last year in addition to his 564 receiving yards and 21 total touchdowns.
They won't have McCaffrey, but the 49ers aren't out of options. The offense still features tight end George Kittle, wideouts Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, quarterback Brock Purdy and future Hall of Fame offensive tackle Trent Williams.
