49ers' "Monday Night Football" Injury Report Is Drawing Scrutiny

Much to the chagrin of his fantasy football managers and prop-bet backers, star running back Christian McCaffrey was inactive for Monday Night Football after being listed as questionable because of injuries to his calf and Achilles all week.

Despite the "questionable" tag on the 49ers injury report, McCaffrey got in a limited in practice on Thursday and Friday and was adamant he was going to suit up and play on Monday against the New York Jets. However, when the game kicked off, it was backup Jordan Mason toting the rock, not McCaffrey.

To most, it was a surprise to see Mason rumble for 147 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in San Fran's 32-19 beatdown of the Jets. But according to Mason's postgame interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters, he wasn't shocked to be filling in for McCaffrey because he found out he's be starting MNF long before Monday night. “Maybe Friday, Friday night,” Mason said. “Something like that.”

If true, that's a major issue because it means the 49ers were playing fast and loose with the injury report and were not giving fans, and gamblers, accurate information. For a league that's as firmly entwined with sports betting as the NFL, that's a major problem.

Speaking after the game, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan denied what Mason told Salters. “I never told Jordan he was gonna start,” Shanahan told reporters. “Told him he had to be ready a bunch. But it might have been [running backs coach] Bobby [Turner] or somebody trying to pump him up. But I knew he was gonna have to play a lot. Told him that it wasn’t gonna be like usual.”

Shanahan can say what he wants, but it certainly seems like the 49ers knew they'd be without CMC in Week 1 as there's a "real chance" the running back won't be playing in Week 2, according to an ESPN report.

San Fran's head coach denied that as well. "It's amazing. That person must be God," Shanahan said. "We just found out he wasn't playing today. I have no idea how he's going to feel tomorrow, or the next day. I thought he was playing this whole week until today. So I don't know who knows that he's not playing next week."

It may not matter if McCaffrey returns to help the 49ers battle the Minnesota Vikings this weekend as San Francisco scored on eight straight drives without him against the Jets.

Last season, the Falcons were fined for failing to put running back Bijan Robinson on the injury report prior to a game where he managed one carry for 11 yards. To avoid a similar fate, the 49ers better get their Week 2 injury report in order.