Is Kyle Shanahan to Blame for Christian McCaffrey's Injury?

Christian McCaffrey's injury against the Bills could be due to the heavy workload he received since returning to the 49ers.

Dec 1, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on the field before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers officially placed Christian McCaffrey on Injured Reserve on Tuesday.

McCaffrey's 2024 season is done after suffering a PCL injury in the loss to the Buffalo Bills. Surgery will not be required for McCaffrey, but he will be sidelined for roughly six weeks. McCaffrey was starting to hit his stride against the Bills in what was easily his best performance since returning.

The weather conditions may have been freezing, but it wasn't stopping McCaffrey from heating up. He finally looked like the player the 49ers would look at as their savior on offense. Unfortunately, the injury occurred early in the second quarter in what would be his last snap played for the 49ers in 2024.

"I just feel for him. It was a real frustrating year for him," said Kyle Shanahan. "He worked his butt off to get back to this point. I think he was really feeling good and about to take off and just had that real unfortunate injury last night. So, I know he's as crushed as anyone, but he'll get through this. He's a hell of a player, hell of a person and an unbelievable 49er and he'll be back stronger than ever next year to help us.”

McCaffrey's injury is a curious case because he was receiving a heavy workload from the moment he returned. Slowly integrating him and ramping him back up seemed like the optimal way to get back into the groove of things to avoid reinjuring his Achilles.

But Shanahan utilized McCaffrey as if he was perfectly fine. A case can be made that Shanahan is the one who got McCaffrey injured because he ran him so much. It created wear and tear on his body that made him susceptible to injury. So, is Shanahan to blame for McCaffrey's injury?

Not at all. Anyone who feels strong about that is insane. Yes, McCaffrey's workload was surprising and probably not the best method. But what he injured wasn't his Achilles. That was the main concern for utilizing him heavily. McCaffrey injured the PCL in his knee due to a shoestring tackle.

It easily could've happened if that was McCaffrey's first snap of the game. It was a freak injury. That is what happens in football. Had it been his Achilles that suffered an injury, by all means, unleash the floodgates of criticism on Shanahan for it.

But again, McCaffrey injured his knee -- unrelated to his Achilles. Blaming Shanahan for McCaffrey's injury is just an excuse to increase the criticism of Shanahan. Of all the things Shanahan deserves scrutiny for, McCaffrey's injury isn't one of them.