Christian McCaffrey missed the San Francisco 49ers‘ 2024 season opener due to calf and Achilles injuries. The 49ers consider McCaffrey day-to-day in his recovery, according to Kyle Shanahan, but NFL Media reports the veteran is believed to be a long shot to play in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings.
Talk to McCaffrey, who’s on the practice field with the team again Thursday, and you’ll get a much more optimistic response. He believes he’ll always be ready to play, and while he wasn’t able to suit up against the Jets, that’s not discouraging his hopes for Sunday.
“My mentality is I’m playing this week,” McCaffrey said Wednesday, via ESPN. “That’s where I’m at. That’s how I am every week. I’m not lying. I think as soon as a player says, ‘Maybe I’ll play, maybe I won’t,’ that’s not a good mentality to go into a week with when you’re kind of on the fence. So for me, I’m ready to go.”
Understandably, the 49ers are being cautious with their star running back, especially since he’s battling Achilles tendinitis, which the team isn’t taking likely.
“The Achilles is tendinitis,” Shanahan said, per NBC Sports, “and that stuff comes and goes. And when it is acting up it’s something you’ve got to be very careful about. Christian is very diligent about that stuff. If it was a playoff game, he made it very clear to me he believed he could go. But when you hear that type of stuff, and it’s not a playoff game, and it’s Week 1, especially when you’re dealing with the lower extremities like that … in the long run it made [the decision] easy.”
Achilles tendinitis can ultimately weaken the Achilles tendon, according to Mayo Clinic, making it more vulnerable to a tear, which would necessitate a surgery that would likely end McCaffrey’s season. Daily stretching and lower-intensity workouts can help treat tendinitis, however, as some cases are not as severe.
The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year was replaced by third-year reserve Jordan Mason against the New York Jets, and Mason exploded for 147 rushing yards and a touchdown in his starting debut. McCaffrey, meanwhile, has an extensive injury history that dates back before his time with the 49ers; the former Carolina Panthers star missed a combined 23 games due to ankle, hamstring and shoulder ailments.
Mason would be in line to remain San Francisco’s top ball-carrier in the event McCaffrey doesn’t suit up.
