With the Minnesota Vikings coming off a dominate victory in week one over the New York Giants, all eyes are onto the home opener Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. Before yesterday’s Sunday Night Football game, star 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was ruled out against the New York Jets due to his calf injury.
Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter, appearing on ESPN, said that McCaffrey will likely miss the Minnesota Vikings game as well. However, this might not be the case anymore. At least, according to McCaffrey’s teammate after the game.
George Kittle says Christian McCaffrey will play against Vikings on Sunday
Appearing on the Scott Van Pelt show on ESPN after the Monday Night Football game, George Kittle might have revealed the 49ers plan for McCaffrey next Sunday.
UPDATE: #49ers TE George Kittle tells @ESPN that RB Christian McCaffrey will be back next week to play #Vikings 👀
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) September 10, 2024
“When Christian’s back next week, you’ll see some of those fun plays. You’re going to see the offensive MVP go out there and be a really good football player again” https://t.co/j0ARZqNliX pic.twitter.com/sif3Uaz3kh
When Christian’s back next week, you’ll see some of those fun plays. You’re going to see the offensive MVP go out there and be a really good football player again.
San Francisco 49ers Tight End George Kittle via Scott Van Pelt Show
It’s quite clear that Kittle fully believes that McCaffrey will be playing next Sunday against the Vikings. If that is the case, that’s a game changer for the 49ers. They are one of the best teams in the NFL, and having McCaffrey adds a whole new dimension to their offense. An offense that is extremely hard to beat given all the weapons they have.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Outlook
McCaffrey is the best running back in the NFL. He can run, he can catch, and he can block. He’s explosive and can single handedly change a game. If he’s not out there next week, that’s a massive advantage to the Minnesota Vikings.
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We’ll get more clarity on his status leading up to the Vikings home opener, but this is absolutely something fans should keep an eye on. The Minnesota Vikings are currently +4.5 point underdogs per Draft Kings Sportsbook, given the unknown with McCaffrey’s injury status. However, this could easily balloon well north of +6 points if McCaffrey does indeed play Sunday.
Given the injury news of #49ers RB Christian Mcaffrey, the line has shifted a WHOLE 1.5 points.
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) September 10, 2024
The #Vikings are now only +4.5 point underdogs for Sunday’s game against San Francisco. https://t.co/QJ36bTRiY0 pic.twitter.com/9m3qt32gs0
Regardless of his status on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings have a tough task ahead of them. Last year, they were massive underdogs to the 49ers only to shock the world and beat them on Monday Night Football.
McCaffrey did play in that game, but he went into the game with an injury. He definitely wasn’t 100%, which could also be the case this week too. In the end, the clash of unbeatens will take place on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Will the Vikings continue to show the world they can hang with the elite class of the NFL?