Although the San Francisco 49ers are guaranteed the top seed for their next postseason run, they are now keeping an eye on the health of running back Christian McCaffrey. The two-time Pro Bowler is having the best season of his career, but during the Niners’ 27-10 victory over the Washington Commanders, he sustained a calf injury.
Thankfully, it doesn’t appear to be very serious. After the win, McCaffrey told reporters that he was only being cautious when he left the game in the second half.
It was the appropriate decision to rest McCaffrey rather than risk endangering his availability to play because his health is crucial to the 49ers’ success this postseason. McCaffrey has already had an incredible year, so there’s no need to push for any pointless benchmarks.
Nevertheless, on Sunday, the seven-year NFL veteran did surpass 2,000 yards from scrimmage. He has a league-high 21 touchdowns to go along with it, marking the first time in his career that he has done so.
49ers Will Sit Key Players in Final Game
As a result of the Philadelphia Eagles’ defeat by the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers secured the top spot. It’s evidence of the team’s strength this season, but it also allows the 49ers to rest important players.
After the game, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan gave reporters an explanation of his plan for resting starters in such circumstances.
“We’ll attempt to give certain guys a break. Yet you can’t let everyone sleep. It’s just too difficult. Without a doubt, we need to assemble the team. This coming week will be a really busy practice week. We have a great deal of work ahead of us. And practicing and playing football is the only way to accomplish it. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be quite exciting. and determine our roster as the week progresses, after which we’ll determine our plans for Sunday,” Shanahan stated on December 31.
When considering possible absences, McCaffrey is difficult to ignore. The 49ers won’t take any chances with the RB because he recently injured his calf.
San Francisco’s Regular Season Finale Against Rams
In addition to allowing players to get rest, securing the top seed eliminates any possibility of a high-stress matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. In previous seasons, the Rams and 49ers have played a number of legendary games together, but this one will be unique.
Los Angeles and San Francisco are certain to make the playoffs. However, a loss would see the Rams fall to the seventh seed. They would probably get ready for a road trip to play the Detroit Lions if they won. However, a defeat would match them up with the Dallas Cowboys.
In short, there’s a good chance the Rams win this game. They clearly want to defeat the Niners, as seen by their six-game winning streak and motivation. It is much nicer for San Francisco to not have to worry about the outcome than to have a rivalry game with a lot on the line to close the season.
Journalist Evan Reier covers the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys for Heavy.com. In the past, he worked as a managing editor for Outsider and covered sports for the Montana Standard.Additional information on Evan Reier
