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Report: ‘No Indication’ NFL Investigating 49ers Over Injury Status of Christian McCaffrey | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors
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Report: ‘No Indication’ NFL Investigating 49ers Over Injury Status of Christian McCaffrey | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 11: Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers catches a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Focus on Sports/Getty Images

All indications are that the NFL is not investigating the way the San Francisco 49ers handled running back Christian McCaffrey’s injury, which kept McCaffrey out of Monday’s win over the New York Jets.

Hours before kickoff, it was revealed that McCaffrey would be sidelined with a calf/Achilles injury, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted that substitute Jordan Mason said after the game that he was told he would start Friday. That raised questions, though an NFL spokesperson told Florio that the league declined to comment on the situation.

Against this backdrop, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows and Amos Morale III reported Tuesday that there is “no indication that the league has launched a formal investigation” into the situation.

McCaffrey had been considered a suspect all week, so the situation certainly didn’t come out of nowhere.

Still, it was a surprise to see him inactive so close to the game, and it undoubtedly sent shockwaves through the fantasy and gambling communities. And with the popularity of the NFL so directly tied to the prevalence of fantasy football and gambling, the outrage led to headlines and questions about whether the 49ers would be investigated.

It was a less than ideal situation for fantasy football managers banking on McCaffrey in the final game of the week, as the vast majority of running backs were already set. Perhaps a lucky few were able to get Mason off the waiver wire, but many were likely left with a loss.

Luckily for the 49ers, they won the game on Monday.

Mason is a big reason for that: he ran for 147 yards and scored one touchdown on 28 attempts, an impressive performance that suggests he could be inserted into the team’s rotation even when McCaffrey is back and healthy.

San Francisco also relied on the versatile Deebo Samuel for his ground play, finishing with eight carries for 23 yards and a touchdown to go along with five catches for 54 yards.

It appears McCaffrey won’t miss much time, as head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters, “I absolutely believe he would have played if it had been a playoff game.”

Ultimately, it appears the 49ers came out of the situation with a win, there are no major long-term concerns for their star player, and they don’t have to worry about a league investigation.