San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey traveled to Germany to see a specialist for his Achilles tendinitis.
Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey made this trip in hopes of addressing an issue that has troubled him since early in training camp, which has also put him on injured reserve at the start of the season.
“I know he’s going to see a specialist that I believe can help him with his Achilles process,” Shanahan said Monday. “I think he’s doing that over these next few days, and hopefully, it’ll help.”
McCaffrey injured himself early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before coming back to the field on a limited basis for the season opener on September 9 against the Jets.
However, he was a last-minute scratch for that game and went on injured reserve on September 14, two days after feeling pain in his Achilles tendon during practice. He can return for a Week 6 game against Seattle, but there are no signs that he is ready to play.
Last season, McCaffrey led the NFL with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and tied for the most touchdowns with 21, earning the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.
After missing 23 games due to injuries in his last two full seasons with Carolina, McCaffrey has been healthy for the past two seasons. He missed only one game combined in 2022-23—a meaningless Week 18 game last season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf.
His 798 combined touches from scrimmage during the regular season and playoffs were the third most for any player in a two-year span in the past decade.
The 49ers have faced significant injury problems early this season, with star receiver Deebo Samuel and All-Pro tight end George Kittle also missing time, and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave possibly facing a season-ending injury on Sunday.
