We already knew that Jerick McKinnon is unlikely to play until the team's Week 1 contest against the Minnesota Vikings, but general manager John Lynch confirmed on Friday morning during a KNBR interview that the San Francisco 49ers running back will be held out for the remainder of the preseason.
McKinnon suffered a calf strain during a practice in Santa Clara on August 12. The 49ers are already without running back Matt Breida, who sustained a separated shoulder during the 49ers' exhibition opener against the Dallas Cowboys. He too is not expected to return until the start of the regular season.
"The McKinnon thing just happened in one of our practices, and we were getting ready to travel out here (to Houston), and so we really needed to have a hard day," Lynch said on the "Murph & Mac" show. "It was early in practice, and we really emphasized, 'This is a full-speed tempo,' and Jerick was looking great. He just felt a tweak in his upper calf area behind his knee.
"The good news is it's not going to be long-term, but the bad news is it's going to take him right up to Week 1, our opener. So his opportunity to get more in rhythm in our system, that kind of goes out the door. But he's played a lot of football, and we play a lot of football in the offseason, OTAs and all that. We're going to have to trust that he's going to be ready.
"Breida and (tight end George) Kittle, both those guys, dinged their shoulders in the game. Both situations were kind of freak deals you can't control. They're both important players to us. The good news with them, as well, is that they're going to be back — expected to be back — for Week 1 and they're working really hard to get back,
"You'd love to have these guys play in preseason but what's most important is that we have them for the regular season."
Lynch said that McKinnon is feeling better and healing fast and the 49ers are hopeful he will be ready to play against the Vikings on September 9.
You can listen to the entire interview with Lynch below.
