49ers RB Christian McCaffrey suffered calf strain, will sit out Week 18 vs. Rams
San Francisco 49ers (12-4) head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday that running back Christian McCaffrey will be sidelined for this Sunday’s Week 18 home contest against the Los Angeles Rams (9-7) with a mild calf strain.
McCaffrey, 27, sustained the injury in the 27-10 Week 17 win over the Washington Commanders (4-12). With San Francisco locked into the No. 1 seed in the NFC, McCaffrey will have nearly three weeks to get ready for the playoffs — a scary thought for opposing teams.
“We all need it — I know I need it,” McCaffrey said of the 49ers earning a first-round bye. “So, I’m excited to just take a breath and get everything back to normal.”
McCaffrey, in his first full season with the 49ers, leads the NFL with 1,459 yards on 5.4 yards per carry and 14 touchdowns. He has added 67 receptions for 564 yards and seven scores through the air. Given the production, McCaffrey is one of the MVP Award favorites alongside Baltimore Ravens (13-3) quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Elijah Mitchell ready to fill in for Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey rushed for 64 yards on 14 carries and hauled in four receptions for 27 yards against Washington. Elijah Mitchell got some extended work in the game, rushing for 80 yards on 17 carries and a score. Mitchell, who had been battling a knee injury, will be the back of choice versus the Rams.
“I thought Elijah did a great job. You know, I mean he’s as good as anybody,” Shanahan said. “He’s been working to come back.”
Shanahan added: “He was close to [returning] last week, and has had a real good week this week, and he was ready for the moment. And then when Christian went down, he just came in and took over.”
As for the rest of the team, Shanahan said he hasn’t decided who will play in Week 18.
“You know, I still think there’s lots of things where we can obviously get a lot better at. And the only way you do that is playing football and practicing football,” Shanahan said. “So, I say Thursday [and] Friday, I’ll figure out our roster as the week goes and decide what we’ll do for Sunday.”