Vikings receiver Jordan Addison, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will miss Sunday’s game

In the Vikings’ victory over the 49ers last October, Jordan Addison had a career-high 123 yards and the first two-touchdown game of his career, helping his team upset San Francisco without Justin Jefferson.

The Vikings will have Jefferson for Sunday’s game against the 49ers. But if they’re to win as home underdogs again, they will have to do it without Addison.

The team ruled out Addison for Sunday‘s game against the 49ers, after he missed his third practice of the week because of the right ankle injury he suffered last week against the Giants. Coach Kevin O’Connell said Addison is “doing really well“ in his rehab from the injury, but the coach couldn’t say yet whether Addison could return for the Vikings’ Week 3 game against the Texans.

With Addison out, the Vikings will activate Trishton Jackson to the gameday roster. Jackson led the Vikings with nine catches for 154 yards and a touchdown in the preseason, after an impressive camp that helped him make the team.

”We’ve got a lot of confidence in him,” O’Connell said. “He earned the right to be here, no doubt, but having a guy like that to step in in these moments is very comforting for us as an offensive staff, and I think for Sam [Darnold], as well. But no doubt, not having Jordan out there, he had a great game against them a year ago, some huge plays for us. So we’re gonna have to pick up for Jordan with some guys we’re confident in.”

The 49ers ruled out running back Christian McCaffrey on Friday because of calf and Achilles problems that have hampered him for weeks. McCaffrey also missed Monday’s opener against the Jets; Jordan Mason rushed for 147 yards in his place. McCaffrey sitting in Week 1 came as a surprise to many, but the NFL said Friday it “found no evidence of a violation of the league’s injury report policy in this matter.”

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that McCaffrey had “the most pain” after Thursday’s practice and that the team is considering putting the running back on injured reserve, which would shut him down for at least four weeks.

The Vikings listed three players — guard Ed Ingram, right tackle Brian O’Neill and safety Harrison Smith — as questionable for Sunday.

Ingram had a triceps injury that “popped up” Thursday, O’Connell said. He was limited on Friday, but O’Connell said the guard did a fair amount of work in practice.

O’Neill was limited in Friday’s practice because of an elbow injury. Smith first appeared on the injury report Thursday because of a hip injury, though he was back to limited practice Friday. The injury is believed to be minor, and indications Friday were that Smith would play against the 49ers.

O’Connell said the team’s plan for Smith is similar to the plan for its other 13-year veteran defensive back, cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

“We’re going to try to get him a day here and there,” O’Connell said of Smith. “It was a physical game [against the Giants]; he played his tail off on Sunday. Just a little bit more [soreness] as the week went on. We’ll see how he turns over. I do feel good about him having a chance to go, but I always want to do right by those [injury] designations.”

Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel was back to full participation Friday after being limited Thursday. The Vikings sat Van Ginkel late in the Giants game, trying to be cautious with him after his offseason foot surgery. He did not receive an injury designation for Sunday’s game, meaning he should be ready to play.

The 49ers listed safety Talanoa Hufanga as doubtful because of a knee injury and linebacker Dee Winters as questionable because of an ankle injury.