McCaffrey (calf) increased his activity level on the side field at practice Thursday and seems to be getting closer to a return, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports. McCaffrey also ran some half-speed routes on the side Thursday, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The star running back is expected to sit out all of San Francisco's preseason games while he works his way back from a calf strain suffered early August, but at this point there don't seem to be any serious concerns about his Week 1 status. McCaffrey still has over three weeks to get healthy before San Francisco's regular-season opener against the Jets on Monday, Sept. 9.
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Status
QUESTIONABLE - Calf - Strain Expected Return: 2024-08-18Latest Christian McCaffrey news
Team
San Francisco 49ers
Birthdate
6/7/1996 (28)
Status
Active
HT/WT
5'11", 210 lbs
Draft Info
2017: Rd 1; Pk (CAR)
Birthplace
Castle Rock, CO, USA
Position
RB
College
Stanford
Experience
8 seasons
Career History
San Francisco 49ers
2022-Present
(2 seasons)
Carolina Panthers
2017-2022
(6 seasons)
McCaffrey (calf) increased his activity level on the side field at practice Thursday and seems to be getting closer to a return, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports. McCaffrey also ran some half-speed routes on the side Thursday, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The star running back is expected to sit out all of San Francisco's preseason games while he works his way back from a calf strain suffered early August, but at this point there don't seem to be any serious concerns about his Week 1 status. McCaffrey still has over three weeks to get healthy before San Francisco's regular-season opener against the Jets on Monday, Sept. 9.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that McCaffrey (calf) is nursing a calf strain and is unlikely to suit up for any preseason action, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Shanahan said McCaffrey's injury is short-term, but that he'll nonetheless miss "a couple weeks" of practice and likely all of San Francisco's exhibition matchups. At the very least, the star running back figures to sit out Saturday's preseason opener against the Titans. Per Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News, Shanahan stated that McCaffrey sustained the injury a few days ago. Fresh off a two-year, $38 million extension inked in June, the 28-year-old remains primed for a pivotal role in the 49ers offense, especially if a trade dealing Brandon Aiyuk elsewhere does come to fruition. Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that McCaffrey's calf injury doesn't appear likely to limit him Week 1 versus the Jets, which is nearly a month away, but the situation will warrant close monitoring. Backups Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) are both dealing with injuries of their own, leading to the Monday signing of Matt Breida to join Jordan Mason as a depth option.
The 49ers signed McCaffrey to a two-year, $38 million contract extension Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. CMC's deal was set to run through 2025, and he's getting an additional $8 million up front before this two-year extension kicks in and runs through 2027. The $19 million annual average makes McCaffrey the NFL's highest-paid running back, a distinction he'd already held at just over $16 million per year. This further sets him apart from Alvin Kamara ($15 million) and Jonathan Taylor ($14 million) at the top of the position. McCaffrey was named the AP Offensive Player of the Year last season and finished third in MVP voting after finishing with 2,023 total yards and 21 touchdowns across 16 regular-season contests. McCaffrey turns 28 years old later this week.
McCaffrey's touchdown streak ended at 17 games, including the playoffs, one shy of the NFL record. San Francisco gave him two carries and two targets from inside the 10-yard line on its penultimate drive, but McCaffrey couldn't get into the end zone to extend the streak. He still surpassed 100 scrimmage yards for the fourth time in the last five games, and the workhorse running back has logged at least 22 touches in each of those games. Starting a new touchdown streak may not be easy in Week 11 against a Tampa Bay defense that has allowed only one scrimmage touchdown to a running back this season.
McCaffrey still bulled his way to a solid fantasy afternoon thanks to his nose for the end zone, but he saw a modest amount of rushing opportunities for the third straight game. The explosive back crossed the goal line on a two-yard rush and four-yard reception in the second and fourth quarters, respectively, yet his rushing yardage total was his fourth consecutive sub-60-yard tally. Nevertheless, McCaffrey has scored at least once in all eight contests thus far and will next face a tough Jaguars run defense in a Week 10 road matchup following a Week 9 bye.