The San Francisco 49ers are looking to bounce back in 2025 after enduring a miserable 2024 campaign. One thing that would certainly help is if they could stay healthy, as injuries destroyed them from the get-go last year. Ahead of Week 1, though, the 49ers and their fans are getting a concerning feeling of deja vu thanks to star running back Christian McCaffrey.
From seemingly out of nowhere, McCaffrey was ruled out before kickoff of San Fran’s Week 1 contest last year, which eventually led to him missing the team’s first nine games of the season. After the Niners’ latest injury update on McCaffrey, it seems like he could be headed down the same path to open the season.
Christian McCaffrey Misses Practice for the 49ers on Friday
McCaffrey was part of the slew of 49ers players who missed a considerable amount of time last season due to injuries. While McCaffrey did return midway through the season, he only played in four games before he suffered a season-ending PCL injury. The hope was that McCaffrey would be able to return to the team with a clean bill of health, and throughout the summer, that appeared to be what would happen.
Instead, McCaffrey is now heading down a path that feels eerily familiar. After dealing with a calf and Achilles injury throughout the summer last year that the team insisted would not impact his regular season status, McCaffrey was abruptly ruled out ahead of Week 1 and promptly missed the first half of the 2024 season.
Now, a calf injury has popped up for McCaffrey once again, and his status is trending the wrong way ahead of Week 1. After logging a full practice on Wednesday, McCaffrey was limited on Thursday before missing practice entirely on Friday. Despite that, he’s been officially listed as questionable for the 49ers‘ Week 1 contest against the Seattle Seahawks, leaving the door open for him to take the field on Sunday.
Christian McCaffrey (calf) is listed as QUESTIONABLE for Sunday in Seattle. He did not practice today,” Matt Barrows of The Athletic reported in a post on X.
Is Christian McCaffrey Going to Play in Week 1 for the 49ers?
GettyGet the latest update on Christian McCaffrey’s calf injury and its potential impact on the San Francisco 49ers‘ 2025 season.
The 49ers suddenly find themselves in a tricky spot with McCaffrey. They’d obviously love to have him on the field for Week 1, but prioritizing his long-term health is also crucial if the team wants to accomplish its primary goals for the season. Considering how he suffered this injury on Thursday, is the team willing to push it with McCaffrey this early in the season?
While he is questionable for this game, the fact that McCaffrey did not practice on Friday seems to indicate that his chances of playing on Sunday are fading. With San Francisco trading for Brian Robinson Jr. from the Washington Commanders, they could lean on him and Isaac Guerendo to start the season, which would allow McCaffrey to get healthy. McCaffrey’s status will be worth checking on before kickoff, but things don’t look all that great for him right now.
49ers Issue Worrying Christian McCaffrey Injury Update, But There’s a Catch