49ers' Christian McCaffrey Calls Calf Injury 'Pretty Minor' After Win vs. Commanders

Christian McCaffrey downplayed the severity of his "pretty minor" calf injury following the San Francisco 49ers' win on Sunday, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner.

"I think it was minor and just made the smart move, especially not knowing what was going to happen next week," McCaffrey said. "I didn't just want to go in there and make it any worse. With certain things you can't be dumb about it."

The 27-year-old sustained the injury in the third quarter of the 49ers' 27-10 victory over the Washington Commanders, leaving the game without returning.

A loss by the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday resulted in San Francisco clinching the No. 1 seed in the NFC. This gives head coach Kyle Shanahan the option to rest some of the team's starters in the 49ers' final regular season game.

Shanahan wasn't overly concerned about McCaffrey's calf issue either, telling reporters after the game that the team is hoping it's not "too bad."

"We think he'll be all right," Shanahan said, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. "I don't know if he would've been able to go next week or not, but we'll have to find out more (Monday). He was moving around all right on the sidelines, so hoping it's not too bad."

McCaffrey's 2023 campaign has been stellar, racking up 1,459 rush yards and 564 receiving yards. He's also scored 21 touchdowns this season, tied for the most in the league alongside Miami Dolphins tailback Raheem Mostert. Simply put, McCaffrey has been one of the best players in the NFL this season.

He's helped the 49ers maintain the league's fourth-best rushing attack and will have some time to recover from the calf injury with the team earning a first-round bye on Sunday.