Christian McCaffrey injury update: 49ers RB's season might be over after PCL injury

It would appear Christian McCaffrey's 2024 campaign is ending less than a month after it began.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after Sunday night's game that McCaffrey suffered a PCL injury during the Niners' 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Shanahan indicated that the star running back's season might be over.

If his season is truly over, it's a disappointing end to a year that had already been shortened by a calf/Achilles injury that McCaffrey sustained in training camp. The eight-year veteran had missed the first eight games of the 49ers' season and only returned in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the team's Week 9 bye.

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With five games left to play, backup running back Jordan Mason likely will step back into the starting role he had filled for most of the first eight weeks of the season.

Christian McCaffrey injury update

McCaffrey suffered a knee injury early in the second quarter of the 49ers' "Sunday Night Football" meeting with the Bills.

Bills safety Taylor Rapp took down the star running back with a "shoestring" tackle on a second-and-7 play after McCaffrey had picked up 18 yards.

There wasn't any injury apparent immediately after the play, but McCaffrey slid down early and behind the line of scrimmage on his next carry. It was after that carry for negative yardage that the running back limped off of the field to the blue medical tent.

He was initially listed as questionable to return with a knee injury but ultimately never made his way back onto the field.

According to Shanahan after the game, McCaffrey suffered a potential season-ending PCL injury on the play.

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Christian McCaffrey stats

McCaffrey missed the first eight weeks of the season while dealing with a different injury – a calf/Achilles injury he had been working through since training camp.

As a result, he played just four games this season before his knee injury on Sunday night. Here's how his stats looked through those four games:

• Rush attempts: 50

• Rushing yards: 202

• Yards per carry: 4.04

• Rushing touchdowns: 0

• Receptions: 15

• Receiving yards: 146

• Yards per reception: 9.73

• Receiving touchdowns: 0

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49ers RB depth chart

Here's how the 49ers' running backs depth chart looks after McCaffrey's potential season-ending injury:

• Christian McCaffrey (doubtful, knee)

• Jordan Mason

• Isaac Guerendo

Mason joined the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and has played in all 11 games this year with six starts, all of which came before McCaffrey's Week 10 return.

Guerendo was the 49ers' fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He's also played in all 11 games for the Niners, but hasn't started any of them.

Veteran Elijah Mitchell has been on season-ending injured reserve since before the regular season with a hamstring injury. Kyle Juszczyk is listed as a fullback – not running back – on the 49ers' depth chart.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Christian McCaffrey injury update: 49ers RB suffered PCL injury