When will Christian McCaffrey play again? News about the star's injury

Week 1 of the NFL season brought countless surprises: including the New England Patriots’ victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and the Chicago Bears, who were worse off with Caleb Williams than they were a year ago with Tyson Bagent.

Most surprising, however, was Christian McCaffrey’s last-minute cancellation of the 49ers’ Monday Night Football game against the New York Jets.

McCaffrey made way for undrafted backup Jordan Mason, who rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown. While that was great for anyone who started Mason in their fantasy leagues, it wasn’t so great for anyone who took McCaffrey first in the first round. The star’s injury appears to be worse than originally thought, and everyone is wondering when he’ll be back on the field.

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Here are the latest updates on McCaffrey’s ankle injury.

Why did Christian McCaffrey sit out?

Bay Area reporter John Dickinson reported Tuesday that McCaffrey’s injury was related to his Achilles tendon and that the problem had been flaring up recently.

With this type of injury, Mason’s statement that he knew he would be in the 49ers’ starting lineup on Friday is more understandable. McCaffrey was reportedly held out of practice on Friday because of his ankle injury, but no one was particularly concerned at the time.

Mason was believed to have been informed that he might be pushed into the starting line-up following McCaffrey’s departure, but this was not confirmed until the day of the match.

Will McCaffrey play in Week 2?

McCaffrey’s status for Week 2 against Minnesota is unknown. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported there’s a “real chance he won’t play on Sunday.”

As it stands, McCaffrey’s ongoing injury is not a good sign. His ankle has been bothering him for a month now, and while there have been “no setbacks” (according to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan), the uncertainty of whether McCaffrey will be suffering from it on a daily basis does not bode well for his chances of a short-term return.

Minnesota’s home stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium, is also an artificial turf field, which could pose problems for McCaffrey’s ankle if it is not fully healed. San Francisco obviously doesn’t need McCaffrey right now, so the team might be inclined to bench him.

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Kyle Shanahan responds to Adam Schefter’s report

When asked about the credibility of Schefter’s report that McCaffrey would likely miss Week 2, Shanahan told reporters, “That person must have been God.”

When do the 49ers play next?

The 49ers will be on the road in Week 2 on Sunday, taking on the Minnesota Vikings with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.