Christian McCaffrey ruled out for Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers

On Friday afternoon, we officially got our answer. Unlike last week, the Niners will leave no questions surrounding their injury designations for week two. When the team’s final injury report comes out later today, Christian McCaffrey will be listed as “OUT”, according to their head coach, Kyle Shanahan.

#49ers RB Christian McCaffrey is OUT Sunday at Minnesota, Kyle Shanahan said.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 13, 2024

Last season, McCaffrey ran for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns, and added another 564 yards and 7 touchdowns receiving, earning him 2023 AP Offensive Player of the Year and 1st team All-Pro. The former Stanford superstar also finished 3rd in MVP voting.

Related: Latest Minnesota Vikings Injury Update Brings Mostly Good News

Obviously, the 49ers are not the same team, without McCaffrey. Still, that didn’t stop them from dominating their week one matchup. With or without their stud running back, San Fran is no joke.

Last season, the Minnesota Vikings squared off against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. Many of you might remember the Vikings pulling off a 22-17 win, which surprised many, a game that turned out to be a pivotal moment in their season.

This season feels a bit different. The Niners brought back their core players and playmakers. The Minnesota Vikings have a new QB, RB and a completely turned over defense.

With QB Sam Darnold and RB Aaron Jones now in the mix, the big question is whether this revamped Vikings team can replicate last year’s success and come out on top against one of the league’s best. Here are three key factors that could lead the Vikings to victory.

1. Stop The Run

For the Vikings to come out on top this Sunday, they need to focus on stopping the run, regardless of who’s in the backfield. Even if Christian McCaffrey isn’t fully healthy, after missing Week 1 with a calf injury, he’s still one of the league’s top running backs. He is dangerous at all times.

If McCaffrey is out again, backup running back Jordan Mason will take over for the 49ers. And don’t underestimate him, Mason made his first-ever start last week and put up some serious stats, racking up 28 carries for 147 yards. Those are video game numbers.

Related: Latest 2025 1st Round Mock Draft Fixes Vikings WR and CB Problem

Last season, the Vikings did an excellent job containing the run, especially when it came to McCaffrey, holding him to just 45 yards on 15 carries. That’s about as good as you can get against a player like him, and it paid off with a win over the 49ers. If the Vikings want to start the season 2-0, their run defense needs to show up strong again this Sunday.

2. Win The Turnover Battle

One key thing the Vikings must focus on this Sunday is winning the turnover battle. It may seem obvious, but it’s worth noting that Kevin O’Connell, now in his third year, holds an impressive 18-0 record in games where the Vikings either win or break even in the turnover count. That’s quite a stat.

The Vikings under Kevin O'Connell when they break even or win the turnover margin: 18-0.

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) September 8, 2024

Last season, the Minnesota Vikings dominated the turnover battle vs the San Francisco 49ers, 3-1. Brock Purdy threw two interceptions and Christian McCaffrey fumbled. To the Vikings credit, they capitalized on every opportunity. The Vikings and Giants tied the turnover battle, last week, 2-2. Breaking even against the 49ers won’t be enough.

3. Stay Patient in The Passing Game, Establish a Run Game

The third and final key to beating the 49ers on Sunday is being patient with the passing game while establishing a strong run game from the very start. Just like in his Vikings debut, when new RB Aaron Jones rushed for 94 yards on 14 carries (6.7 YPC) and a touchdown.

The Vikings need to set that same tone early vs SF. That means winning the battle in the trenches vs a very good Niners front-seven, so Jones has holes to run through. In a perfect world, Kevin O’Connell can avoid having to rely on Sam Darnold early.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Want to Run Up the Score

If Jones can replicate his performance from last week, the Minnesota Vikings have a good chance at shocking the football world on Sunday. Brock Purdy has a stellar 16-1 record against NFC teams. His only defeat came at the hands of Brian Flores and the Vikings defense.

The Vikings are aiming for a strong start this Sunday, with a chance to push their record to 2-0. They’ll be facing an uphill battle as 5.5-point underdogs in their home opener. It’ll be a true test of how good this Vikings team really is.

Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter, appearing on ESPN, said that McCaffrey will likely miss the Minnesota Vikings game as well. However, this might not be the case anymore. At least, according to McCaffrey’s teammate after the game.

George Kittle says Christian McCaffrey will play against Vikings on Sunday

Appearing on the Scott Van Pelt show on ESPN after the Monday Night Football game, George Kittle might have revealed the 49ers plan for McCaffrey next Sunday.

UPDATE: #49ers TE George Kittle tells @ESPN that RB Christian McCaffrey will be back next week to play #Vikings 👀

“When Christian’s back next week, you’ll see some of those fun plays. You’re going to see the offensive MVP go out there and be a really good football player again” https://t.co/j0ARZqNliX pic.twitter.com/sif3Uaz3kh

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) September 10, 2024

When Christian’s back next week, you’ll see some of those fun plays. You’re going to see the offensive MVP go out there and be a really good football player again.

San Francisco 49ers Tight End George Kittle via Scott Van Pelt Show

It’s quite clear that Kittle fully believes that McCaffrey will be playing next Sunday against the Vikings. If that is the case, that’s a game changer for the 49ers. They are one of the best teams in the NFL, and having McCaffrey adds a whole new dimension to their offense. An offense that is extremely hard to beat given all the weapons they have.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Outlook

McCaffrey is the best running back in the NFL. He can run, he can catch, and he can block. He’s explosive and can single handedly change a game. If he’s not out there next week, that’s a massive advantage to the Minnesota Vikings.

Related: Vikings Preparing Jalen Nailor for Bigger Role

We’ll get more clarity on his status leading up to the Vikings home opener, but this is absolutely something fans should keep an eye on. The Minnesota Vikings are currently +4.5 point underdogs per Draft Kings Sportsbook, given the unknown with McCaffrey’s injury status. However, this could easily balloon well north of +6 points if McCaffrey does indeed play Sunday.

Given the injury news of #49ers RB Christian Mcaffrey, the line has shifted a WHOLE 1.5 points.

The #Vikings are now only +4.5 point underdogs for Sunday’s game against San Francisco. https://t.co/QJ36bTRiY0 pic.twitter.com/9m3qt32gs0

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) September 10, 2024

Regardless of his status on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings have a tough task ahead of them. Last year, they were massive underdogs to the 49ers only to shock the world and beat them on Monday Night Football.

McCaffrey did play in that game, but he went into the game with an injury. He definitely wasn’t 100%, which could also be the case this week too. In the end, the clash of unbeatens will take place on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Will the Vikings continue to show the world they can hang with the elite class of the NFL?

San Francisco 49ers likely without Christian McCaffrey vs Minnesota Vikings

But right before kickoff on Monday, Adam Schefter (ESPN) added another layer to the story. Yes, McCaffrey will miss tonight’s contest vs the Jets. But according to Schefty, his calf/achilles injury isn’t expected to be ready by Sunday vs the Vikings, either.

Here's the Schefter report on Christian McCaffrey possibly being out Sunday vs Minnesota as well pic.twitter.com/T0BsCCDqqI

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) September 9, 2024

“Not only is Christian McCaffrey out tonight, but there’s a real chance he’s not going to play on Sunday, either. They play on the road, at Minnesota, on turf, in a shorter week. So, he’s inactive tonight, and it looks like there’s a real strong possibility McCaffrey will not play Sunday against the Vikings, as well.”

Adam Schefter – Monday Night Countdown (ESPN)

After struggling to stay healthy during his last couple seasons in Carolina, Christian McCaffrey has been mostly available for the 49ers, since they traded for him mid-season, back in 2022. In his first full season with the Niners, he put up his best year yet.

What would the Niners be losing without McCaffrey?

The former Stanford star piled up 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground last year. He added another 564 yards and 7 touchdowns receiving. Those numbers earned McCaffrey AP Offensive Player of the Year.

He also finished 3rd in MVP voting and, obviously, was named 1st Team All-Pro. We wish the best of luck to McCaffrey, in his recovery. The NFL is a better place when he is healthy.

Christian McCaffrey's Best Plays – 2023
part 4 pic.twitter.com/ASCQW9MK33

— Highlight Vault (@HighlightVault) September 1, 2024

Related: Vikings Update on Jordan Addison Injury Seems Positive

But when we look at this injury update, and how it affects the Minnesota Vikings’ chances of winning next Sunday, there is no doubt this moves the needle toward the purple, in a big way. Probably more than any other Niner absence could.

Yes, Brock Purdy has had an insane start to his career, given where he was drafted back in 2022. But take Christian McCaffrey away, and send Brian Flores after him… we’ll see how he and the Niners offensive line holds up.

A loss at home vs the Niners on Monday night, with the entire football world watching, would almost certainly force GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah into sell mode, especially with the NFL trade deadline looming 9 days later (Oct 31).

Related: Danielle Hunter Trade Value: Can Vikings Land 1st Round Pick for the NFL Sack Leader?

San Francisco 49ers injuries leading up to MNF vs Minnesota Vikings

There’s no doubt that Vikings vs 49ers will be greatly affected by San Francisco injuries; a list that includes three of their best and most important pieces to winning.

Running back – Christian McCaffery (All-Pro), wide receiver – Deebo Samuel (All-Pro) and left tackle – Trent Williams (2x All-Pro) are all on the team’s injury report this week, but we got more clarity on the Niners injury report Sunday.

Neither Deebo nor Trent Williams participated in Niners practice this week and McCaffrey worked off to the side, on his own. On Sunday, Samuel was ruled out, Williams doubtful and McCaffrey questionable, though the latter was expected to play.

On Monday, it was reiterated by both Ian Rapoport (NFL Network) and Adam Schefter (ESPN) that McCaffrey will suit up. The 2x All-Pro left tackle, Trent Williams, however, will join Deebo Samuel on the sidelines without pads on.

From @GMFB: #Eagles QB Jalen Hurts finished the game with a knee brace; #Browns QB Deshaun Watson will start next week; #49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (oblique) is expected to go tonight. pic.twitter.com/ctauiiJ032

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 23, 2023

"Christian McCaffrey is gonna be out there tonight but he didn't take a hit in practice all week long..

Trent Williams isn't gonna play tonight for the 49ers" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/jtq6rCHPe6

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 23, 2023

Deebo Samuel (Shoulder): Out

Deebo Samuel has been dealing with a shoulder injury all season. As a result, he’s had big games some weeks, taken the field as mostly a decoy other weeks, but he’s limped his way through all six Niner games this season.

Trent Williams (Ankle): Out

Related: Minnesota Vikings Defense Rankings 2023 – Week 7

McCaffrey and Williams’ injuries, however, both happened last week vs the Cleveland Browns. Trent Williams, one of the best offensive linemen of the last decade, had his ankle rolled up on early.

He left the game, but returned after having it taped up. It’s been diagnosed as an ankle injury, but not of the high-ankle variety. Williams played through the injury, but was clearly uncomfortable and had it in a boot postgame. Now, he’s been ruled out vs the Vikings.

LT Trent Williams’ right foot is in a walking boot after this one. He said he toughed it out after the injury because he didn’t want to put his team or Jaylon Moore in a tough spot against Myles Garrett.

Nick Wagoner – ESPN

Christian McCaffrey (Ribs/Oblique): Questionable (Probable)

Earlier in the week, it was reported by Matt Maiocco’s (NBC Sports – Bay Area) that the 27-year-old former Stanford phenom‘s status for Monday will come down to pain tolerance. We’ll monitor these 49ers injuries, as this week moves forward, but for now, Minnesota Vikings fans should expect that McCaffrey will be suited up at US Bank Stadium on Monday night.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

How important are these running backs to how their offenses produce? Both McCaffrey (2018, 2019) and Cook (2019, 2020) have had two (mostly) healthy seasons where they’ve been asked to carry a huge chunk of their team’s offensive workload. When able to avoid the injury bug, they’ve been two of the most feared offensive weapons in the NFL.

Pro Football Reference has developed a new advanced metric called “Approximate Value” (AV), which attempts to assign a number to each player for every performance. Every (mostly) healthy season Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey have played, they finished top-10 in offensive AV score. Those two and Derrick Henry are the only running backs who sniff 15 AV in a full season.

Cook In, McCaffrey Out

Vikings RB Dalvin Cook, WR Adam Thielen and WR Justin Jefferson are all off the injury report for Sunday.

All are good to go against the Panthers*.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 15, 2021

Panthers ruled out RB Christian McCaffrey for Sunday vs. Vikings.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 15, 2021

Cook is returning to a Vikings offense that has failed to get much going in the last couple weeks. Since Dalvin went down, Klint Kubiak’s squad has been especially bad in the 2nd half. In the two games where Cook was a regular participant in the second half, the Vikings scored a total of THREE second-half touchdowns. In the three games without him, they scored ZERO.

Dr Cook Has 2nd Half Cure?

Alexander Mattison is a fine backup and a fine player, but he isn’t Dalvin Cook. Nobody is, even if he’s only 90%. Establishing the run is always important for the Vikings. But a healthy Cook is a threat through all four quarters and something opposing teams dread all week long.

When healthy, Zimmer likes to ride Dalvin in the second half. Why not? An elite running back can methodically turn a first half lead into a 2nd-half runaway victory because they keep the clock and the chains moving. Something that’s evaded this team in his absence.

The Vikings have run the ball 65 times in the second half of games this season, nearly identical to their first half number of 66 rushing attempts. Yet, just 11 of those second half runs have resulted in 1st downs. That’s compared to 21 rushing 1st downs in the front half of games off basically the same attempts. That’s not good enough to get the job done.

RB1 Advantage

There are few players more impactful to their team’s offensive production than what Dalvin Cook or Christian McCaffrey are to the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers. Whether it’s in the pass or by standard run play, those two guys are make their offenses go.

Both teams were hoping to see their star running back return to play this week but after McCaffrey was sent to IR on Saturday, only the Vikings will have that chance. Early in the week Carolina was favored to win Sunday, but as these injury designations have come out, the money has shifted to (-2.5) Minnesota.

2nd☕️

|￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣|
| Dalvin Cook not on the |
| injury report 150 / 2 TDs |
|＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿|
\ (•◡•) /
\ /
——
| |
|_ |_

— Mitch Carl (@DFSnDONUTS) October 16, 2021

A (hopefully) healthy Dalvin Cook wasn’t even listed on the final injury report, released Friday. If Cook is healthy, the RB1 advantage could be the exact boost the Minnesota Vikings need, especially in the 2nd-half, to pull out a victory in Charlotte on Sunday.

Cooper Carlson | Minnesota Sports Fan