After surprisingly missing the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 1 win over the New York Jets, superstar running back Christian McCaffrey is reportedly considered unlikely to play in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, McCaffrey is a “long shot” to play Sunday as he continues to recover from a calf injury and Achilles tendonitis:

Rapoport noted that since it is a long season, there is a sense that the Niners want to take a cautious approach and ensure McCaffrey is closer to 100 percent before returning to the field.

McCaffrey was sidelined for the team’s season-opening win over the Jets with those ailments in a decision that was not publicly revealed until hours before kickoff. He also missed time during training camp and the entire preseason.

“It’s been lingering the last few weeks,” San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game against the Jets. “But it’s getting better and better and hopefully it’ll be better next week.”

Shanahan also said, “I definitely believe if it was a playoff game he would have played.”

That it didn’t seem significantly serious after the game was a welcome sign for the team, as McCaffrey is arguably the best player in the league. He won Offensive Player of the Year last season with an NFL-best 1,459 rushing yards, 564 receiving yards and 21 total touchdowns while helping lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl.

Durability has been a concern at times during his career, as he played a combined 10 games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but he has been largely healthy since joining San Francisco and missed just one combined game in the 2022 and 2023 campaigns.

While his health is once again a focal point at the start of this season, the 49ers can at least take solace knowing they have Jordan Mason to potentially step in for another start in Week 2.

Mason ran for 147 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Jets when McCaffrey was out and will likely be asked to shoulder much of the rushing attack burden alongside versatile wide receiver Deebo Samuel if the starter is once again sidelined against Minnesota.