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
-
49ers injury notes: Isaac Guerendo setback; Nick Bosa, George Kittle updates; Mac Jones doesn't throw
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters on Thursday and provided several key injury updates as the team continued organized team activities (OTAs), which began on Wednesday. Isaac Guerendo suffers offseason setback It was already expected to be a... -
49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa 'pretty far along' in ACL recovery
The San Francisco 49ers are optimistic that defensive end Nick Bosa will be ready for training camp, and Bosa shares that outlook. After suffering a season-ending ACL injury in Week 3 of the 2025 season, the star pass rusher says his recovery remains on schedule, putting him in... -
49ers' roster overhaul reveals a fascinating trend under John Lynch
I have written in the past about what teams should consider when building a roster. Today, I will examine two trends that have emerged recently in 49erland. Trust the Conference In the past five seasons, the following receivers have been All-Pro selections. Ja'Marr... -
Could former 49ers star return to the NFC West?
NFL teams continue searching for value signings as training camps approach, and former San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel remains one of the most notable names still available in free agency. FOX Sports reporter Ben Arthur recently...