49ers superstar Christian McCaffrey is facing more downtime than expected. The San Francisco franchise is now even considering placing the running back on the IR list.

49ers fans and fantasy managers need to be very strong now.

As “ESPN” expert Adam Schefter reports, the injury to star running back Christian McCaffrey is worse than expected.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan told media outlets on Friday that the franchise is now reportedly even considering placing the 28-year-old on the IR list, which would require him to sit out at least four games.

Reporter Dov Kleiman posted a clip of the press conference on “X” (formerly Twitter) that confirmed the dire fears. “That’s something we’re considering now. Yesterday was his worst day. It goes back and forth, but since he was in the most pain yesterday, we’ll discuss that in the next 24 hours,” Shanahan described the franchise’s thinking.

McCaffrey, meanwhile, is definitely out for the Week 2 game against the Minnesota Vikings due to his lingering calf injury and Achilles tendinitis.

McCaffrey also missed the preseason Super Bowl opener against the New York Jets and was replaced at short notice by Jordan Mason, who impressed with 28 rushes for 147 yards and a touchdown.

The 25-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the Niners for just under 2.6 million dollars in 2022, but has barely made an appearance to date. He is now likely to step further into the breach in the coming weeks. McCaffrey’s backup Elijah Mitchell will miss the entire season with a hamstring injury