NFL fans accuse 49ers of withholding Christian McCaffrey's status following Jordan Mason's comments - "Kyle Shanahan should be suspended" 

On Monday, the San Francisco 49ers had a great matchup against the New York Jets in their season opener at Levi's Stadium, beating the visitors 32-19. Running back Jordan Mason, who made his first career start, had an outstanding outing.

With Christian McCaffrey out due to a calf injury, Mason filled in and repaid the faith head coach Kyle Shanahan showcased in him. He carried the ball 28 times and rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a five-yard pass, taking his tally past the 150-yard mark.

During the post-game interview, Mason was asked when he was told that he'd be starting against the Jets on Monday night. The running back claimed he knew since Friday night that he'd be in the backfield.

Fans were quick to jump in and pointed out that Shanahan and the coaching staff were aware of McCaffrey's situation. However, they did not change his status on the injury report until gameday.

A few voiced their frustration about it and demanded that Shanahan and the 49ers be punished for their intentional oversight.

Some argued that the 49ers couldn't be punished since they could claim that they didn't intend to play McCaffrey the entire game even if he was healthy:

"If CMC wasn’t at full health but could still play, it’s okay for them to reserve him and give Mason the start" - wrote @DaddyDrJ

"They just used the incredibly murky designation status to their advantage" - argued @joedunph

"Questionable doesn’t mean he has to start, just that he might not play." - @MahGill explained.

"McCaffrey could have been the emergency 3rd string RB for all we know but decided against it. No rules against that. Smart move by the 49ers." - Remarked @DwCbLj

Christian McCaffrey injury: 49ers unlikely to be punished for Jordan Mason's slip-up

Recently, teams have been fined for hiding the severity of players' injuries. In 2019, the Pittsburgh Steelers were fined $75,000, while head coach Mike Tomlin was ordered to pay $25,000 for not disclosing that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had undergone elbow surgery and would miss the rest of the season.

However, unlike the 49ers, who listed McCaffrey as questionable on their injury report until gameday, the quarterback wasn't listed as out, doubtful, or questionable on the Steelers' final report.

This critical distinction will likely be enough for Shanahan and the 49ers to avoid any punishment from the league.