The 49ers have opened the practice window for star running back Christian McCaffrey, who’s yet to play this season as he’s battled Achilles tendinitis.
McCaffrey took part in the 49ers’ practice on Monday as the team emerges from its midseason bye week. Officially, he remains on injured reserve, at least for the time being. The 49ers now have three weeks — until Nov. 25, the day after they play the Green Bay Packers — to officially activate McCaffrey to the 53-man roster so that he can return to in-game action this season.
This latest news is a step in the right direction for McCaffrey, who was first sidelined with tendinitis during training camp in August. Although he returned to practice before the regular season, McCaffrey was surprisingly ruled out of the opener against the New York Jets and subsequently placed on injured reserve with what 49ers general manager John Lynch later classified as “bilateral [both legs] Achilles tendinitis.”
Lynch said McCaffrey’s tendinitis had “flared up” prior to Week 1, encouraging the 49ers to take an ultra-cautious approach with their superstar. McCaffrey has undergone a delicate combination of rest and rehabilitation over the two months since, ramping up his workload in anticipation of a post-bye return.
A key has been to avoid the return of inflammation to his Achilles during the ramp-up; so far, that has been successful — McCaffrey underwent a series of simulated practices over the past several days to ensure he was ready to rejoin his teammates.
Now, the 49ers will monitor how McCaffrey handles this actual return to practice and — if all goes well — determine when to activate him for game action. The 49ers travel to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend. They then return home for a Nov. 17 date with the Seattle Seahawks before that Nov. 24 game at Green Bay. A road showdown the Buffalo Bills is scheduled for Dec. 1.
The 49ers are 4-4, so they’ve stayed afloat without McCaffrey, whom coach Kyle Shanahan recently called the “NFL MVP”. But an offense that ranked No. 1 across the board in 2023 has lost a step offensively without the adaptable force, who racked up 2,023 all-purpose yards last season. The 49ers now rank No. 7 in defense-adjusted value over average, and the potential positive impact of a McCaffrey return is clear to chart.
It’s a potentially busy week for the 49ers since the NFL’s trade deadline is at 1 p.m. PT Tuesday. Both Lynch and Shanahan have said that the 49ers would be interested in making moves — but only if good opportunities present themselves. Lynch has added that the pending return of a star like McCaffrey, if it does happen, can be seen as a trade-type acquisition for the 49ers.
The team acquired McCaffrey in a swap with the Carolina Panthers back in 2022. He helped turbocharge the offense that season. The 49ers can hope for a similar story to play out here in 2024.