McKinnon returned to limited practice this week, and it sounds like the running back had a similar setback, according to what general manager John Lynch said Wednesday morning on KNBR.
RELATED
"Because the situation is up in the air, I'm not going to say a whole lot," Lynch said on the "Murph and Mac" show. "I can tell you that again, yesterday (Tuesday), we brought him out, and it's a real bummer because he keeps getting to the final step. And the final step is actually playing NFL football, particularly at his position where you've got to make hard cuts, you've got to put your foot in the ground.
"We did it a month ago, and we got to that step, and he kind of regressed. And I would say yesterday, we had a similar situation. So we're trying to get to really what's the root cause of the problems that he's having.
"Just because he's kind of working through this, we're working it, I'm going to kind of leave it at that, but yesterday was not encouraging from that standpoint. What that means, we're not sure yet, and we're working hard to find that out."
The 49ers signed McKinnon to a four-year deal on March 14, 2018. He was meant to be the featured back within head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense before his injury. Landing on short-term or long-term injured reserve to start the season remains an option for McKinnon.
Short-term injured reserve, of course, would require him to count on the 53-man roster before the designation can be made. That would mean exposing another player the 49ers might intend to re-sign to other teams.
The 49ers offense is slated to feature Tevin Coleman, who was signed this offseason, and Matt Breida as its top running backs this season.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
John Lynch: 49ers expect Nick Bosa, key defenders back by training camp
Losing Nick Bosa to a torn ACL in Week 3 dealt a significant blow to the San Francisco 49ers defense, which struggled to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks throughout the 2025 NFL season. It marked the second ACL injury of Bosa's NFL career, with the first... -
49ers GM John Lynch addresses Jauan Jennings' future, latest on Brandon Aiyuk
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch met with reporters Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, offering insight into the team's wide receiver situation as free agency approaches. With key decisions looming, the 49ers could see significant changes to... -
John Lynch: 49ers would need a 'fairly strong' offer to trade Mac Jones
Speculation continues to surround the future of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones, who remains under contract through the 2026 NFL season. After stepping in for injured starter Brock Purdy in 2025, Jones delivered an impressive stretch that likely caught the attention... -
John Lynch: 49ers on the 'right track' with Trent Williams contract negotiations
News surfaced Tuesday that the San Francisco 49ers and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams are navigating a contract standoff. Williams has one year remaining on his deal and is scheduled to count nearly $39 million against the salary cap in 2026 — a figure the 49ers would...