Christian McCaffrey Ruled Out for Monday Night Football Against New York Jets

The San Francisco 49ers will be without star running back Christian McCaffrey tonight against the New York Jets.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first half of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The New York Jets are set to take on the San Francisco 49ers tonight on Monday Night Football. Just ahead of the big-time season opener, the Jets caught a major break on the injury front.

Christian McCaffrey will end up missing tonight's game as he deals with calf and Achilles ailments.

Garafolo: Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles) to be inactive Week 1.

— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) September 9, 2024

Obviously, this is a huge plus for New York. McCaffrey is one of the biggest and most dangerous offensive playmakers in the NFL.

In his place, the 49ers will rely on Jordan Mason, Isaac Guerendo, and Patrick Taylor Jr. All three players are capable of stepping up and helping to fill the void left by McCaffrey.

During the 2023 season, McCaffrey had yet another monster year for San Francisco. He carried the football 272 times for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns. McCaffrey also caught 67 passes for 564 yards and seven more scores.

Those numbers show how much the 49ers are missing tonight without their 28-year-old superstar. However, they need to be safe with him to protect his long-term healthy and outlook for the rest of the season.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see how tonight's game goes. Another huge storyline is the return of superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers and how his Achilles will hold up.

Hopefully, the Jets are able to get off to a strong start tonight. Not having to face McCaffrey is a major bonus, but San Francisco is loaded with talent on both sides of the football.

New York will need to come out swinging and put together a very strong performance defensively to shut down Brock Purdy.