Christian McCaffrey

[FootballDad]

It stinks that they did not keep Schrader around in San Fran especially if they were aware of McCaffery's issues.

I hear that was the plan. To let him clear waivers and sign him to the PS. Unfortunately the Rams pulled him from the waiver wire. Of course the Rams aren't using him so maybe they will waive him and the 49ers can snag him back.

 

[jacknyc]

If this is a real picture, CMAC injury could be more serious than the 49ers are letting on.

x.com

x.com

It's official.
The 49ers are reporting that CMC has gone to Germany to seek treatment.

 

[Warhawk_46]

He is getting treatment in Germany. Many athletes chose to do that. Hopefully it helps him be ready in a couple of weeks.

I’m (very) cautiously optimistic it won’t be a lost season for him and with the additional game maybe, just maybe, he can still hit 1,000 yards rushing as the number of 1k yard seasons is crucial aspect of Hall of Fame consideration.

 

[El Gringo]

It's official.
The 49ers are reporting that CMC has gone to Germany to seek treatment.

I don’t understand why these guys that make tens of millions of dollars don’t fly private!! if I netted $2 million a year, I would spend 1 million of that on a private jet lease.

 

[Warhawk_46]

I’m reading plenty of articles and message boards about how when (if) CMC returns that it is going to be a split backfield.

A shame our best players (CMC, JJ Watt) cannot stay healthy for their full careers. Oh what might have been for these two!

 

[jacknyc]

Latest news says that the 49ers expect McCaffrey to be back in early November.

 

[Don Wassall]

WTF, both legs??

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reports Christian McCaffrey has Achilles tendonitis in both of his legs.
The hits keep coming for McCaffrey and the 49ers, who said McCaffrey was expected back “at least by early November” just yesterday. While that may still be possible, the nature of McCaffrey’s injury sounds rather serious. McCaffrey went to Germany last week to get treatment for his Achilles tendonitis, but at that time, it was assumed only to be an issue in one of his legs. Jordan Mason will continue to handle the workload for the 49ers while McCaffrey is away, although he’s rumored to begin running on grass later this week.

 

[Warhawk_46]

As much of a disbeliever I am in these things the Madden curse lives on.

Our greatest players lately have had one glaring issue: ability to stay healthy. CMC cannot, neither can Cooper Kupp and neither could JJ Watt.

I don’t mean for a few seasons but for the course of a full career. Until they have the ability to do so, there will be a lot of what ifs and more fuel for the fires that state whites aren’t as tough as blacks.

Incredibly frustrating to read this news today.

 

[Gator Dad]

As much of a disbeliever I am in these things the Madden curse lives on.

Our greatest players lately have had one glaring issue: ability to stay healthy. CMC cannot, neither can Cooper Kupp and neither could JJ Watt.

I don’t mean for a few seasons but for the course of a full career. Until they have the ability to do so, there will be a lot of what ifs and more fuel for the fires that state whites aren’t as tough as blacks.

Incredibly frustrating to read this news today.

It seems frustrating, and it is, but given that our minds are focused on White athletes, we don't really notice when this stuff happens to black ones, and it happens to them all the time too. It's just like the "Annual White Purge" threads tracking all the White players being cut. We don't really look at all the black cuts.

 

[Warhawk_46]

It seems frustrating, and it is, but given that our minds are focused on White athletes, we don't really notice when this stuff happens to black ones, and it happens to them all the time too. It's just like the "Annual White Purge" threads tracking all the White players being cut. We don't really look at all the black cuts.

To a degree yes, but think of the elite black players and their ability to stay healthy. Aaron’s Donald versus JJ Watt. Two of the best to ever play - and Watt was a gamewrecker in a way Donald wasn’t - but Donald stayed healthy for nearly his entire career (one season he missed a few games at the end of the year).

Or McCaffrey versus Henry. Henry had one year he was hurt and missed most of the season. McCaffrey now has three seasons like that.

It stands out more because we have fewer skill and defensive players, but dammit our guys need to find a way to change the narrative of being brittle.

Where is a guy like Favre nowadays?

 

[Don Wassall]

I agree with Gator Dad. It's something we've commented on at various times over the years. This year seems like more of an outlier with both the best White WR and the best (practically only) White RB injured, and some notable rookies like Pearsall, DeJean and Bishop. But DeJean and Bishop are healthy and Pearsall is on schedule to return soon. Kupp is expected back after the Rams' bye and McCaffrey may still play half the season.

McCaffrey has been healthy for four of the past six seasons. He's stayed healthier than a lot of Black RBs, who often get injured. Remember the Hillis Curse? It was the result of six different RBs on the Broncos getting injured. RB injuries are commonplace.

There are many, many Blacks in the league who can't stay healthy. And then you have players like Maxx Crosby, who just missed his first game. Anyone named Matthews has been an Ironman. Lots of QBs and TEs. Kelce is another great example. I'd say more Black QBs than White ones get injured. Richardson has trouble staying healthy for a single play. The lack of White players makes their injuries more glaring and frustrating when they happen.

 

[Warhawk_46]

The articles keep coming in insinuating Mason can be the top running back all season long.

McCaffrey, even after his Offensive Player of the Year (and clear MVP even if not won), is in danger of losing his job when he comes back healthy.

The ability to stay healthy is the most important thing for elite whites as even they are at constant risk of losing their jobs.

**Jordan Mason is a very good running back, no doubt about and would start for most teams. However, he is NOT better than McCaffrey and yet the media seems to be clamoring for him to be the guy.

The Best Comparison for 49ers Running Back Jordan Mason

Jordan Mason is the best story in the NFL this season. Last season, he was the 49ers' third-string running back. Now, he's their starter and the NFL's second-le

www.si.com

 

[Don Wassall]

That's not what I got from that article. There's a big "if" in it, namely, "[Mason] could remain their starter for quite a while if Christian McCaffrey never makes a full recovery from bilateral Achilles tendonitis."

If Christian doesn't make a full recovery, it's only common sense that Mason retains his position until C-Mac is ready to go. I have yet to read any articles proposing that Mason simply replace McCaffrey as the starting back when Christian is healthy or any other type of "clamoring" along that line.

 

[Warhawk_46]

That's not what I got from that article. There's a big "if" in it, namely, "[Mason] could remain their starter for quite a while if Christian McCaffrey never makes a full recovery from bilateral Achilles tendonitis."

If Christian doesn't make a full recovery, it's only common sense that Mason retains his position until C-Mac is ready to go. I have yet to read any articles proposing that Mason simply replace McCaffrey as the starting back when Christian is healthy or any other type of "clamoring" along that line.

What I mean is that the media is clamoring for Mason and McCaffrey to be in a time-share when CMC returns. What this likely means is Christian gets 10-15 touches a game and Mason likely a similar amount.

 

[Leonardfan]

If healthy I doubt McCaffrey gets less than 20 touches a game. Mason is showing that despite his performance he is more a product of the offensive system whereas CMC is a catalyst in the offense.

 

[Warhawk_46]

If healthy I doubt McCaffrey gets less than 20 touches a game. Mason is showing that despite his performance he is more a product of the offensive system whereas CMC is a catalyst in the offense.

I agree, McCaffrey is the engine that makes the 49ers soar. Each week it is proved despite how well Mason runs.

I’m sick too and was going to ask you the same

 

[Don Wassall]

What I mean is that the media is clamoring for Mason and McCaffrey to be in a time-share when CMC returns. What this likely means is Christian gets 10-15 touches a game and Mason likely a similar amount.

That's not what you wrote, you wrote that the media was clamoring for Mason to be "the guy" even after McCaffrey returns, but some kind of timeshare or committee arrangement makes sense for the rest of this season. If McCaffrey is going to miss half the season and likely more, there's no way he should instantly become a bellcow again, which would increase the risk of reaggravating his injury or causing a new one. It has nothing to do with race as McCaffrey is still nearly unanimously viewed as the best RB in the league along with Derrick Henry. Something like a 60-40 or 65-35 split in favor of McCaffrey is similar to the way almost all teams use their running backs now.

Anyway the bellcow running back is nearly extinct. Even Henry isn't one. The closest after C-Mac would be Mixon and he incurred an ankle injury that's caused him to miss the past two games and possibly more. I'd rather see McCaffrey stay healthy even if it means cutting back his workload some than use him in a way that increases the risk of further injuries.

 

[Leonardfan]

I agree, McCaffrey is the engine that makes the 49ers soar. Each week it is proved despite how well Mason runs.

I’m sick too and was going to ask you the same

Lol I am. Sinus infection.

 

[Warhawk_46]

That's not what you wrote, you wrote that the media was clamoring for Mason to be "the guy" even after McCaffrey returns, but some kind of timeshare or committee arrangement makes sense for the rest of this season. If McCaffrey is going to miss half the season and likely more, there's no way he should instantly become a bellcow again, which would increase the risk of reaggravating his injury or causing a new one. It has nothing to do with race as McCaffrey is still nearly unanimously viewed as the best RB in the league along with Derrick Henry. Something like a 60-40 or 65-35 split in favor of McCaffrey is similar to the way almost all teams use their running backs now.

Anyway the bellcow running back is nearly extinct. Even Henry isn't one. The closest after C-Mac would be Mixon and he incurred an ankle injury that's caused him to miss the past two games and possibly more. I'd rather see McCaffrey stay healthy even if it means cutting back his workload some than use him in a way that increases the risk of further injuries.

There are several bellcow running backs still today. Mason is one currently, Henry certainly still is I don’t see how you can state otherwise (maybe because Jackson rushes a lot too but then again Baltimore passes far less than other teams), Barkley in Philly, Kamara in New Orleans and plenty of other backs see 15 attempts a game. No one is carrying 400+ times a season like decades past anymore but still, not every backfield has essentiallly equal timeshares.

While not rushing him back in makes sense, this writer isn’t talking about a game or two of timeshare to get acclimated, but about sharing the load the rest of the season.

 

[Don Wassall]

A bellcow back plays 80% or more of snaps. Here are Henry's snap counts so far this season:

Week 1: 46%
Week 2: 46%
Week 3: 59%
Week 4: 65%
Week 5: 50%

Justice Hill has played 54%, 54%, 41%, 35% and 50% of snaps over the same timespan.

Mason is not a bellcow. He is a backup temporarily forced into heavy usage because the starter is injured.

"15 attempts" is not a bellcow. I didn't say "every backfield has essentially equal timeshares," and I also wrote that bellcows are not extinct, but are headed that way, as did you when you wrote "no one is carrying 400+ times a season like decades past." Kamara is a bellcow so far this season, so is the often injured James Connor, but they are becoming few and far between and at this stage of his career it may be better for Christian not to be one, at least this season when he comes back.

And again, a writer recommending sharing the load the rest of the season is not the same as Mason "being the top running back all season" as you wrote, is it? Nor is "the media seems to be clamoring for [Mason] to be the guy," accurate as you wrote with no evidence of said "clamoring." There are mountains of direct and indirect evidence supporting the existence of the Caste System, there's no need for over the top posts. I merely pointed out that your post was inaccurate and it was, how much longer do you want to keep this going??

 

[Warhawk_46]

Seems our definition of a bellcow running back differs. A running back that takes the vast majority of the rushing attempts - which to be fair are down in today’s aerial era - versus 80% of snaps.

I’ve never heard Henry described as anything but a bellcow back and his number of rushing attempts throughout his career attest to that.

Running back-by-committee is the approach most teams take with the exception teams like the 49ers, Eagles, Falcons, Saints and a few others. It is what it is nowadays.

I won’t stop lamenting that this season’s injury may have been the nail in McCaffrey’s days as a bellcow back. Maybe it is for the best, but it is his HOF candidacy I am most concerned about and only have 4 1k yard seasons under his belt would be damning for that, despite how elite he is when healthy.

Whites, especially at taboo positions like running back, will always have a target for replacement on them. I would think we can at least agree about that.

 

[Don Wassall]

You're tricky, I'll give you that. You're like a shapeshifter, changing topics and avoiding the issue that caused me to call out your post.

You can lament that McCaffrey's injury "may have been the nail" in his days as a bellcow back all you want. Do you think anyone is happy about his injury? But what you can't do is come to this site and discredit it by posting made up stuff.

I don't care what you consider a bellcow back to be, the issue that you won't address is that you wrote a post claiming "the articles keep coming in insinuating Mason can be the top running back all season long" after McCaffrey comes back and that the media was "clamoring" for Mason to be "the guy." Where are those articles? The one article you cited said Mason "could remain their starter for quite a while if Christian McCaffrey never makes a full recovery from bilateral Achilles tendonitis," not that he should remain the starter after McCaffrey is healthy. Again, your post was inaccurate to put it nicely and all the gaslighting you can muster won't change that.

 

[jacknyc]

If and when CMac is 100% healthy, he will still be splitting time with Mason because he has been out of commission for so long. He will need to work his way into game shape. Plus, the Niners will still want to be cautious with him anyway, because of his injury and because of his value to the team.

 

[Snow Plow]

Either way, this guy is arguably the best player in the NFL. Let’s hope he gets healthy soon.

 

[El Gringo]

It looks like Christian exasperated his injury by over training according to Dad. Hopefully he can just take it easy for a couple of weeks. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...unning-backs-dad-appears-to-reveal-the-cause/