McCaffrey has been limited in practice this week, with today's session being the final one before Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. While he's dealing with a calf strain, the more concerning injury that kept him out of Monday night's game against the New York Jets is Achilles tendinitis.
Will he play on Sunday?
"I don't know that answer," Lynch admitted. "He's dealing with this Achilles tendinitis, which is one of those deals that can be feeling good one day and then, the next day, it flares. And so it's been very frustrating for Christian, I know, and frustrating for us, only because he's such a great player.
"But primary in our mind is the long view. Christian is such an elite player. He changes us. He makes us different. But also, it's nice to see that we can function without him. We can function at a really high level."
Jordan Mason rushed for a career-high 147 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in the 49ers' 32-19 victory over the Jets. His performance has boosted the team's confidence, showing they can continue to play at a high level even with McCaffrey sidelined.
"So, don't know the answer," Lynch continued. "He did get out there and practice some the last couple days on a limited fashion. And so much of it is how does he respond the next day? Those guys are down there, kind of checking in for meetings. Haven't heard yet, but we'll see.
"But we have to be really smart and understand that this is a long year and we need Christian fully healthy and out there, and don't want to compromise anything."
Earlier in the week, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if putting McCaffrey on injured reserve, which would sideline him for a minimum of four games, was being considered.
"No, I've never considered that," Shanahan replied. "I was considering him to play [on Monday night], so definitely not thinking about four weeks off."
Lynch, however, left the door open, saying, "If that's the right thing, it's what we'll do. We'll consult. We'll, first of all, see how he's doing today after getting a good work session in yesterday, see how he responds. And then, all options now, as Kyle has said, are on the table."
He concluded, "We're going to do what's right for Christian, right for our team."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
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