Christian McCaffrey, who has been dealing with an injury during training camp, was expected to play in the San Francisco 49ers’ first game of the season.
The skilled running back and 49ers general manager John Lynch even mentioned that he would play. However, he didn’t end up playing and hasn’t been in a game yet after six weeks.
McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve before Week 2 and is now eligible to return, but he is still suffering from Achilles tendinitis in both legs, which could keep him out for a significant part of the season. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the middle of the season could be a key time for his return.
“There’s still some mystery around McCaffrey as to when he’s going to come back exactly,” Fowler said on SportsCenter today. “But I’ve talked with some people in the organization who said, ‘Look we have the bye week coming up. Not this week, not next week, but then after that.’
“So that Week 9, Week 10 range could be a natural spot for McCaffrey to ramp up to be ready for the second half of the season. That still is the plan — for him to impact November, December in some fashion.
Now, [the 49ers] got Jordan Mason back this week on the shoulder injury; they’re ready to go and ready to win games without McCaffrey, but they hope [in] the second half of the season he’s good to go.”
Last season around this time, McCaffrey had 553 rushing yards and 177 receiving yards, along with 9 total touchdowns. The 49ers were also 5-1, winning their first five games of the year, which helped them secure their second straight NFC West title and the top playoff seed in the conference.
This season has been tough for both the 49ers and McCaffrey. After winning their first game at home against the New York Jets without McCaffrey, San Francisco lost its next two games to the Minnesota Vikings and their divisional rival, the Los Angeles Rams.
They did manage to win against the struggling New England Patriots but then lost a close game 24-23 at home to the Arizona Cardinals after leading by 10 points in the fourth quarter.
The Niners are hoping that their recent win on ‘Thursday Night Football’ against the Seattle Seahawks, which put them back at the top of the NFC West for now, will help them get back on track and win consistently. However, this weekend’s matchup will be challenging.
On Sunday, the 49ers will face a familiar rival: the Kansas City Chiefs, who have beaten the Niners in their last four meetings, including Super Bowl LIV in 2020 and Super Bowl LVIII in February.
After the Chiefs, the 49ers will play the Dallas Cowboys, who will also be well-rested after their bye week. San Francisco will have a week off after that before heading to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers on November 10.
