MINNEAPOLIS — The 49ers didn’t make a roster move Saturday to fill in Christian McCaffrey’s 53-man roster.
San Francisco will go with three active running backs against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, led by starter Jordan Mason.
The 49ers placed McCaffrey on injured reserve with calf strain and Achilles tendinitis, which will rule him out for the next four games. San Francisco now has an open 53-man roster spot.
The 49ers elevated senior safety Tracy Walker III from the practice squad again to provide depth where Talanoa Hufanga was not expected to play.
After undergoing season-ending surgery on his torn right ACL in November, Hufanga was listed as questionable for the game.
George Odom is expected to be the starting safety along with G’Air Brown until Hufanga returns to action.
The 49ers will again lean heavily on Mason up front. He gained a career-high 147 yards and scored a touchdown on 28 rushing attempts in the 49ers’ 32-19 Week 1 win over the New York Jets.
Wide receiver Tebow Samuel can get some carries out of the backfield or on jet sweeps. He had 23 yards and a touchdown on eight rushes against the Jets.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said he wouldn’t hesitate to call up rookie Isaac Kurento, a fourth-round draft pick from Louisville. He played three snaps from scrimmage in Week 1, but no carries.
Curendo missed much of training camp during the 49ers’ season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Even at that time it seemed like the game wasn’t big for him,” Shanahan said Friday. “He’s been that way ever since.”
Patrick Taylor, who played his first three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, will serve as the team’s No. 3 running back.
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