San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, who missed half of the 2024 season with what the team initially reported was a calf issue, landed on Thursday’s injury report with a calf issue.
McCaffrey didn’t miss any practices in the spring and had looked strong in recent practices, including Wednesday’s, when he was not on the injury report. He was on the field at the beginning of Thursday’s session, which is open to reporters. He didn’t go through a full practice, however, and was listed as limited.
McCaffrey’s weekly media session, scheduled for Thursday, was postponed.
“I see Christian looking the same as he always has looked,” Kyle Shanahan said last month on KNBR radio. “He came in healthy this year. He had a hell of an offseason. He’s had a hell of a training camp, and I believe that’s going to lead to a hell of a year.”
The 29-year-old running back, who was the league’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, is not believed to have suffered any sort of catastrophic injury to his calf. Still, the calf designation is alarming considering that the 49ers eventually acknowledged last year that he was, in fact, dealing with Achilles tendinitis that flared up regularly.
McCaffrey had planned to play in the 2024 opener against the New York Jets but was a late scratch for that game. He later traveled to Germany, presumably to seek medical care that isn’t available in the United States.
McCaffrey missed the first eight games of the season, then injured his knee in a Week 13 game in Buffalo, ending his season. If he can’t play Sunday in Seattle, newly acquired Brian Robinson would likely start, with Isaac Guerendo and rookie Jordan James backing him up.
Kyle Shanahan is scheduled to hold his final press conference of the week Friday at 1:35 p.m. PST.
(Photo: Ian Maule / Getty Images)
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