San Francisco 49ers head coach revealed the latest update on star running back Christian McCaffrey as he aims to make his season debut potentially as soon as this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Shanahan told reporters that McCaffrey will be limited in practice on Wednesday, but that he has experienced "no pain" after returning to a light practice on Monday.
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McCaffrey is tracking to return on Sunday in Week 10, but the team will continue to make sure he feels good throughout the week.
McCaffrey has not played this season after suffering a calf strain early in training camp. McCaffrey was initially expected to be ready for the regular season, but then was ruled out right before the team's Monday night opener against the New York Jets.
Before Week 2, McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve, and it was revealed that he was dealing with tendinitis in both of his Achilles. There was immediate concern about McCaffrey's status this season, and that was only elevated when he traveled to Germany to see a specialist.
The 49ers didn't have a concrete timeline on McCaffrey's return, but before Week 8, the team said they were hopeful McCaffrey would be able to come back after the bye week. The team was off in Week 9, and then had McCaffrey back on the practice field for the first time this season on Monday.
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McCaffrey is coming off a 2023 season in which he won the Offensive Player of the Year award in his first full year with the 49ers.
McCaffrey led the NFL in rushing yards (1,459), total touches (339), total yards from scrimmage (2,023), and total touchdowns (21). He made the Pro Bowl, was named First-Team All-Pro, and finished third in NFL MVP voting.
The 49ers have managed without McCaffrey this year, but the offense has clearly missed its best player. The 49ers offense runs through McCaffrey, and the team will be very happy to have him back potentially as soon as Sunday.
The 49ers are 4-4 coming off their bye week, and have underperformed this season. With McCaffrey back, the team will be in position to go on a run in the second half of the season as they look to win the NFC West for the third consecutive year.
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