Christian McCaffrey has missed the first four games of the San Francisco 49ers’ season due to bilateral Achilles tendinitis, meaning both of his Achilles tendons have been affected. The star running back, who led the league in rushing yardage in 2023, was ruled out shortly before the team’s Week 1 Monday night matchup and was subsequently placed on injured reserve.
In an effort to address the complex injury, McCaffrey even traveled to Germany for specialized treatment and consultations earlier this season. Initially, the most commonly reported timeline for his potential return was set for “early November.” However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided a more encouraging update recently, which suggests McCaffrey’s recovery could be progressing faster than expected.
According to Schefter, McCaffrey’s Achilles tendons showed no signs of aggravation following his participation in on-field drills during 49ers practice this week. This is a significant milestone in his rehabilitation, and it offers hope that McCaffrey might be ready to return to action sooner than originally anticipated.
Schefter reported that if McCaffrey continues to trend in the right direction, he could potentially suit up as early as October 20 for the 49ers’ highly anticipated home game against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, despite the positive progress, there remains a possibility that the 49ers will take a cautious approach.
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Schefter noted that San Francisco may decide to hold McCaffrey out for both the Week 7 game against the Chiefs and the Week 8 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. This conservative approach would allow McCaffrey to benefit from the team’s Week 9 bye, giving him additional time to recover fully before potentially returning in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 10.
In McCaffrey’s absence, backup running back Jordan Mason has stepped up as the primary ball carrier for the 49ers. Mason has been highly productive, leading the league with 91 rushing attempts heading into Week 5. He’s averaging an impressive 111.8 yards per game and has already found the end zone three times this season. His strong performance has been critical in keeping the 49ers’ ground game competitive while McCaffrey remains sidelined.
While McCaffrey’s return is eagerly anticipated by the team and fans alike, it’s clear that the 49ers will prioritize his long-term health over rushing him back onto the field.
With the team’s strong depth at running back and a playoff run in their sights, San Francisco will look to balance caution with the urgency of getting their offensive star back to full strength.
