The San Francisco 49ers received good news from the results of Jerick McKinnon's MRI on Sunday. The running back sustained a "muscle strain," according to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN.
MRI on Jerick McKinnon's knee was what 49ers hoped: per source, "good and just a muscle strain." https://t.co/XZmdcmFeQH
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 12, 2018
McKinnon was taken to Stanford Hospital, where the MRI on his right knee took place. The 49ers are already without running back Matt Breida, who sustained a shoulder injury during Thursday night's game against the Cowboys. Breida's injury will likely keep him out for the remainder of the preseason.
Update: Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that McKinnon officially sustained a calf strain and he will not practice for the remainder of the week.
#49ers RB Jerick McKinnon officially has a calf strain. He will be sidelined for the rest of this week and be revaluated next week.
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) August 13, 2018
McKinnon suffered the non-contact injury during Sunday's practice and watched the remainder of the session from the sideline. He is slated to be the 49ers' featured back this season, taking over the workload from Carlos Hyde, who is now with the Cleveland Browns.
The 49ers signed McKinnon in March to a four-year deal worth up to $30 million. Shanahan and the team made the running back one of their top free agent targets. His versatility as a runner and receiver was desirable to the 49ers. In McKinnon, Shanahan saw a running back who is consistent at beating man-to-man coverage, whether it be against a linebacker or safety, and a player who is smart and hard working.
"Since [McKinnon has] gotten here, he's been one of our hardest workers on the team," head coach Kyle Shanahan recently said.
McKinnon entered the NFL in 2014 as a third-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings. He has registered 1,918 yards on 474 carries with seven touchdowns in four NFL seasons. McKinnon has contributed 1,109 rushing yards on 309 carries with five touchdowns over the past two seasons. He also added 94 receptions for 676 yards with four touchdown catches since 2016.
