49ers RB Jerick McKinnon Expected to Hit IR With Knee Flareup
By Michael Luciano
The 49ers signed former Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon to a $30 million contract in March of 2018, and we have yet to see him carry the ball for Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco.
After tearing his ACL last season, McKinnon suffered yet another setback in his recovery and was placed on IR. It remains to be seen if McKinnon's injury will be season-ending.
The #49ers are expected to place starting RB Jerick McKinnon on Injured Reserve, sources say. What’s not clear is if it’s season-ending or if he could return. His surgically repaired knee had a bit of a flare up, and he may have a procedure to fix the issue.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 30, 2019
During his last year as a Viking, the former third-round pick out of Georgia Southern ran for 570 yards and added 421 yards as a receiver, scoring five touchdowns in total.
He figured to have a breakout season in his first year under Shanahan in the same way Devonta Freeman did during his tenure with the Atlanta Falcons, but injuries have prevented McKinnon from even getting on the field, let alone having a solid season.
Jerick McKinnon is back at #49ers practice ? | Via @CamInman pic.twitter.com/Xb355OHeVf
— TheSFNiners (@TheSFNiners) August 27, 2019
The 49ers will be fine at running back, as Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida are more than capable of shouldering the load, but McKinnon doesn't look like a great use of money from GM John Lynch.