(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
While it looked like the game was in jeopardy early on, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Washington Commanders in Week 17.
Due to a few other factors during the weekend, the 49ers were also able to lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC ahead of their final regular season game.
They have now secured a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
With this in mind, the 49ers’ Week 18 game will not mean anything regarding their postseason standings.
Conventional wisdom might indicate that they will sit many starters in this game, hoping to keep everyone healthy for the postseason.
The organization hasn’t made any announcements for the whole team, but as Ian Rapoport recently highlighted, one player will be out next week.
Christian McCaffrey “will not play in Week 18,” Rapoport said, pointing to his recently suffered calf strain as the significant reason.
From @NFLTotalAccess: #49ers RB Christian McCaffrey has a mild calf strain. pic.twitter.com/DselUuuA5A
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 2, 2024
As Rapoport highlights, this injury is considered mild, which bodes well for McCaffrey and the 49ers in the playoffs.
With any luck, he will take the next two-plus weeks to get fully healthy, especially now that the 49ers secured the bye.
This gives him additional time to get right, hopefully returning to the field in his total capacity.
McCaffrey has been one of the NFL’s most potent backs over the past several years and has been a difference-maker to the 49ers offense.
This team looks a lot different without him on the field, and they typically have a more challenging time getting things going without him.
In their eyes, it’s best to be cautious with him next week, knowing his injury history and their hopefully deep postseason run.
The post Insider Reveals Christian McCaffrey’s Status For Week 18 appeared first on The Cold Wire.