Hopes were high during training camp that running back Jerick McKinnon would be ready to go by the start of the regular season.
Now, however, his timeline is cloudy – and so is his future with the 49ers.
The running back, who missed all of last season because of a torn knee ligament, has suffered another setback, according to 49ers general manager John Lynch.
As Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee noted Thursday, that puts McKinnon’s season in jeopardy.
The team could put him on short-term injured reserve and return at midseason, or on long-term IR, which would put him on the sideline for a second straight full season.
The 49ers have until Saturday at 1 p.m. – the deadline to get down to 53 players on the roster – to decide.
“We’re working through it,” Lynch said in an interview on KNBR Wednesday. “I’m going to leave it at that. But yesterday was not encouraging from that standpoint with Jet. What that means, we’re not sure yet. We’re working hard to find that out.”
Sports
It’s a terrible development for McKinnon, who signed a four-year deal worth as much as $30 million to come to the 49ers from the Vikings before the 2018 season. But the knee injury just before the start of the regular season required surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation. Recently, he was cleared to resume all activities, but Tuesday he hurt the knee again.
As Biderman noted, if the team doesn’t believe he’ll be able to come back at all this season, the 49ers could eventually release him or work out a new contract that is more team-friendly.
McKinnon was expected to be part of a deep and versatile backfield that would include ex-Falcons standout Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida, with Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. also in the mix.
Tuesday’s injury apparently was similar to another incident in July, according to Lynch.
“It’s a real bummer because you keep getting to the final step and the final step is actually playing NFL football, and particularly at his position, where you have to make hard cuts, you have to put your foot in the ground, and we did it a month ago and he kind of regressed and I would say (Tuesday) we had a similar situation,” Lynch said on KNBR.
The 49ers are set to play their final exhibition game Thursday night at 7 against the Chargers at Levi’s Stadium.
